On opening the meeting, Mr Zubkov said that in 2009 Russia would produce 3.7 million tonnes of sea food, and that its share of the domestic market would reach 70%.
"Such far-reaching plans for the branch demand that we speedily create a modern infrastructure able to receive, process and store fish products, transport and market them to the population at affordable prices. This goal is impossible to achieve unless comprehensive measures are taken," Mr Zubkov said.
At the same time, he said that most of the effort must be financed out of extra-budgetary funds.
"An additional incentive will be 1.1 billion roubles budgeted to subsidise loan interest rates," he said.
The meeting discussed proposals submitted by the Federal Agency for Fishery: to analyse domestic market requirements for fish products, make an inventory of shore infrastructure facilities, determine requirements for additional capacities, find money for the construction of infrastructure facilities, use leasing mechanisms to provide them with equipment, optimise the logistics of transporting fish products, develop wholesale and retail trade in fish products, regulate customs tariffs, draw up regional programmes for the development of shore infrastructure, and conclude agreements with regions to implement the Federal Target Programme.
At the end of the meeting, Mr Zubkov instructed the Agency to take into consideration remarks and suggestions made during the discussion, to agree a set of measures for the development of on-shore fish-processing infrastructure with the departments concerned within the shortest time possible and submit the measures to the Government.
It is planned that the item On the Development of Shore Infrastructure for the Reception, Storage and Processing of Fish Products will be examined at one of the Government meetings in May.