514 
ORGANIZATION AND ADMINISTRATION OF AQUACULTURE 
Fish culture is practiced throughout the vast territories of the Soviet 
Union from the maritime areas of the east to those of the west. 
All of the major inland seas are focal points for aquaculture. As 
of 1965, the administration of fish culture is under the All-Union 
Ministry of the Fisheries Economy. The Minister is appointed by the 
Supreme Council of the Soviet Union. There are 5 vice ministers 
and a board of about 13 advisors. Board resolutions become the 
orders of the Minister. The Ministry is subdivided into eight regional 
administrations.® : 
The kolkhoz (collective farm) is the basic production unit in the 
Soviet Union in which agriculture and aquaculture are practiced. Some 
kolkhozes are devoted to fisheries and fish culture only. Fish produc- 
tion on kolkhozes fluctuates considerably depending on climatic in- 
fluences, kinds of fish cultivated, intensity of cultivation, etc. In 1965, 
the average Soviet fish farm produced 200-500 kilograms per hectare. 
However, around Moscow, it was 800 kilograms in 1963 and 9,800 
kilograms in 1964 owing to the introduction of polyculture and supple- 
mentary feeding.’ 
As of the late 1960’s, there were more than 300 scientists in various 
research and educational institutions under the Ministry of the 
Fisheries Economy. As provided by Ovchynnyk,'! an account of these 
institutes involved with aquaculture is provided below: 
RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS 
All institutions of the Soviet Union, involved in research and training 
of specialists, can be divided into three groups. First are the scientific 
research institutes, with their branches and laboratories, under the 
Ministry of Fish Economy of the U.S.S.R., the Agricultural Ministry, 
and the like. The primary goal of these institutions is research in 
many fields of the fisheries industry including problems of fish stock 
restoration (fish culture, acclimatization, etc.). However, some of them 
have so-called “‘aspirantura’’ (post graduate study) where highly 
trained specialists are prepared. 
To this group of institutions belong: 
(1) All Union Scientific Research Institute of Fisheries and 
Oceanography (VNIRO) which headquarters in Moscow. It has many 
branches, but only some which deal specifically with fish culture and 
acclimatization of fish. To these branches belong: Caspian Scientific 
Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography (Kasp NIRO) in 
Astrakhan, with a sub-branch in the Baku, the Siberian branch, and 
others. The Moscow headquarters of the Institute is interested in 
problems of fisheries and oceanography and carries on studies of 
hydrology, chemistry of water, hydrobiology, ichthyology, morphology, 
embryology, physiology, fish diseases, etc., including fish culture and 
acclimatization of fish. It has about 400 scientists. Local branches 
are involved in projects of general or local interest. To the VNIRO 
belong the Georgian Scientific Research Fishery Station in Batumi, 
® Ibid. 
'° Ibid. 
" Tbid. 
