Korelsky, V. F. Fish, fishermen and fish industry in Russia / V. F. Korelsky. - Bremen : Krebs, [1993?]-.

Chapter 1 Principal Problems andProspects of Development of the Fish Industry in the Russian Federation 1.1. History of Fishery Development in Russia Fishing and the development of fishery in Russia have a long history. The forefathers of Russian people, who have settled far and wide in the forest-steppe domains of Eastern Europe in the 6th-7th centuries, actively exploited the basins of the Dnieper and the Don rivers, sailed along these rivers, ventured on going as far as Byzantium, the Danube, the coasts of the Azov sea, the Lower Volga. Even at that time, fishing was one of the most popular occupations. Later, with the formation of the Ancient Russian state (Kievskaya Rus) and with the expansion of its territories, ever new regions with large rivers and seas were included in the sphere of its influence. By the time Christianity was accepted in Russia, ancient Russichi began developing the fish resources in the rivers (especially the deltas of the Volga and the Don), lakes, the Baltic, Black, Azov, and the Caspian seas. In the 10th-12th centuries, the feudal mode of production in Russia included fishing, which played an essential part in many regions, alongside the agriculture. The appearing monasteries and other church institutions strived for including fishing grounds into the land allotments they obtained. The Russian state came into being by the end of the 15th century. Landed gentry were allotted lands together with fishing grounds, which became the property of people possessing land allotments. At that time, the first efforts were made to create peculiar “laws of fishing,” namely, restrictive measures, concerning the periods of fishing, were taken, the catching of spawning fish was prohibited, etc. In the 17th century, the territory of Russia was considerably extended from the Dnieper on the west to the Pacific on the east, and from Murmansk on the north to the Black sea coast on the south. Besides river basins, fishing was begun in the Baltic, White, Barents, Okhtosk, and Bering seas. At that time, there was practically no industrial fishing in Russia. The concentrated fishing in the Volga with a catch of 40-60 thousand tons can only be regarded as industrial. If we take into account that at that time the population of Russia constituted about 15 million people, such a catch could be regarded as essential. The transformations carried out in Russia by Peter the First were followed by a rapid development of industries, trade, science, by the encouragement of the merchant class, by the expansion of contacts with foreign countries, by the attraction of foreign specialists and scientists. These transformations also affected fishing. The fishing of cod and salmon in the Barents sea and in rivers flowing into it was rather substantial. The catch of sprat in eastern Baltic was increased. Fishing and salt mining along the lower reaches of the Volga were considerably extended. Fishing in the Ladoga 9