New figures show that last year Russian trawlers caught over 4.1 million tons of fish, an amount not seen for almost 20 years. It has now risen from ninth to sixth in the world fishing league table.

The Russian Fishing Agency said the country's fish catches were returning to the levels of 1991 when the industry was at its peak. Catches fell dramatically following the collapse of the former Soviet regime when a number of trawlers were either laid up and just transported fish rather than went out to sea and caught it.

Another important step last year was to abolish customs clearance for fish products  which has greatly  improved the situation for the industry.

But the Russian Prime Minister and former President Vladimir Putin has placed great emphasis on reviving the country's catching industry in recent years, as well as taking a personal interest in its progress.

There has also been new investment in fishing vessels and a number of key bi-lateral agreements with Norway over fishing in the rich grounds of the Barents Sea. It is in the Barents Sea where cod and haddock stocks are at their highest ever levels. There have also been successes in stamping out illegal and unregulated fishing in that part of the world.

There is also emerging co-operation between the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and Russian whitefish catchers which is helping in the global fight for sustainable fishing.Together with the World Wide Fund for Nature the Alaska or Walleye Pollock Catchers Association (PCA), a Russian organisation allegedly with strong influence on government policies, is calling for new rules aimed at controlling illegal fishing.

The new policies would include independent observers on vessels that head out to trawl for whitefish, but also a range of boat traceability and monitoring measures, as well as more sustainable catch quotas and measures to reduce.

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