BLACK BREAD DIPLOMACY

U.S. Consul General in Vladivostok Pamela Spratlen gave a farewell press conference last week.

During two years of her diplomatic marathon she became one of the best-recognizable diplomats in regions other than Vladivostok as well, with Palana, administrative seat of Koryaksky District, being the only regional capital not visited in this period.

In a short speech, Ms. Spratlen summed up some results of her work. She was diplomatic in giving nice answers to sharp questions and, at the same time, remained sincere. She compared diplomatic job with weather, changeable as fast, saying that "when weather is good, friendly links between countries develop faster" and noted that she did her best to promote such relations.

She said that, after having stayed for two years in Moscow, she was going to the Far East with interest, as to a region with great prospects, beautiful nature and interesting history. Unfortunately, regardless of large changes in the economy, development of economic cooperation remains a matter of future, with the exception of Sakhalin offshore oil and gas projects. Cooperation in culture, education and mass media was and continues to be more productive, she said.

The psychology of Americans changed after September 11th, which resulted in more tight visa procedures, but the number of those willing to visit USA has grown, said Ms. Spratlen. "We take effort to open a branch of the American consular office in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk for convenience of expats based there and o Russian citizens who have to come to Vladivostok for visas.

By Pamela Spratlen's words, major changes occurred in the region's social and economic development in last years, and "if previously governors had to tackle issues of normal survival, now they can work for future prospects."

When asked about her strongest impressions from the Far East, Ms. Spratlen replied spontaneously that it was meetings with people, more kind-hearted that metropolitan residents, and local beautiful nature. She placed impressions from picturesque nature on the same level as Ambassador Alexander Vershbow's visit to the Russian Far East, which she believes to be a very meaningful event.

After a month-long vacation, Ms. Spratlen will go to Hawaii for one year, where she will attend the East-West center, a prestigious research institution studying U.S. relationships with Asia, Russia inclusive. She will communicate with students and learn herself, in other words, it will be a kind of qualification enhancement course. And then a new appointment will come. It is not unlikely that it will be relating to Russia again.

In reply to ZR's question where she would like to work, Ms. Pamela, as many were calling her, said that she is very much interested in Germany and Japan.

What will you miss far away from Primorye, was one of questions.

"Warm relationships with my new friends", she repeated and added: "Speaking of food, I like your black bread, seafood and sea very much. Of course, the sea in Hawaii is good, but I will miss a nice view from my apartment on the Amur Bay and Golden Horn."

New consul John Mark Pommershime, who previously worked in the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, will arrive in Vladivostok in September. - Irina DROBYSHEVA.

RESOURCES FOR MONETARIZATION OF SOCIAL PRIVILEGES SHOULD BE MULTIPLIED TENFOLD

It is expected that 173 billion rubles will be earmarked from the federal budget in 2005 to compensate social privileges in monetary form, but Khabarovsky Krai governor Viktor Ishayev says that real demand is 1.8 trillion rubles.

"Monetarization is a good and fair principle, but with the federal budget being slightly over 2 trillion rubles, it will not be supported by financial resources. Part of authority to grant privileges will be delegated to the municipal and regional level. But what is authority without money? We made about thousand amendments to the bill and many were adopted, in particular, those applicable to northern areas. President Putin praised our actions and insistence in making amendments." - Yulia PROKHOROVA.

CAPELIN CATCH FORECAST WAS WRONG

Bekereva fishing kolkhoz in Koryaksky district intends to sue KamchatNIRO for lost profit resulting from its wrong forecast of capelin catch in area of East Kamchatka.

Other fishing companies, incurring serious losses, may also lodge suits against the research institution - sockeye catch in the area of Kamchatka River was only one-fourth of the predicted catch, and only 20% of predicted pink salmon catch has been produced so far in the west of Kamchatka Peninsula.

The picture is reverse in the eastern coast -pink salmon run was unexpectedly high but fishermen could not continue its production upon exhausting quotas set by researchers.

Says Yury Blinov, deputy director general of TINRO-Centre: "Researchers are not guilty. The blame lies with the government, which is responsible for quota allocation for bioresources and approved forecasts submitted by researchers. Instead of litigation, fishing companies should assist researchers in making accurate forecasts." - Yury NURMUKHAMETOV.

CHUM QUOTAS EXHAUSTED IN WEST KAMCHATKA COAST

Fishermen of West Kamchatka produced 100% of allowable catch of chum and 90% of sockeye.

The pink salmon quota, the largest of salmon species, was used for 50%, which is, however, less in in-kind terms than in 2002. Kamchatka regional administration's Fisheries Council will have a meeting in early September to sum up salmon run results in 2004. - Yury ROGOV.

TOO LITTLE CRAB QUOTAS ALLOCATED TO KAMCHATKA

Vice governor Alexander Chistyakov came from Moscow, where he was taking part in discussions of the bill "On Fisheries" and official approval of crab quotas.

Crab within the 12-mile zone can be produced only by Kamchatka companies, who were fishing for crab during many years. Others will get quotas outside the 12-mile zone. The allocation of crab quotas was supported by 14 members of the inter-agency commission out of the total of 19.

Kamchatka's quota for this year is 900 tons of crab within the 12-mile zone and 1,100 tons in deep seas (for reference, about 30,000 tons of crab was produced in Kamchatka area two years ago).

Three companies will start producing crab in the eastern coast in September and another 6 companies on the western coast. Two other companies - Morskoy Lov and Zolotoy Zaliv were included in the list by urgent request of KamchatNIRO, a governmental research institution having no quotas for research purposes during several years, said spokesman for the regional administration. - Yury ROGOV.