News & Views
Russian state hatcheries abandon Western tech

At least one division of Glabrybvod, a Russian government agency running all state-owned hatcheries, has prohibited its workers from using Google and Apple services. 

Employees of the Nizhnevolzhsky branch were required to switch to alternative solutions starting Sept. 1. The workers are not allowed to use iPhones and iPods in their workplaces or wear an Apple Watch. 

Glabrybvod explained that the restrictions were required by “informational security specialists,” not providing additional details. 

The initiative is believed to be a part of the import-replacement program Glabrybvod announced in 2022. 

All Glabrybvod hatcheries run on imported equipment but have a sufficient margin of safety, Sergey Tkachuk, head of the North-West agency branch, disclosed in August 2022. He also unveiled Russian hatcheries were replacing foreign technology where necessary, adding there were no problems in this field. 

Earlier, Russian hatcheries largely switched to domestic fish feed after supplies from Western countries were disrupted, Tkachuk added. 

Despite the challenges, Glabrybvod released 1.963 billion units of fish fry and fingerlings last year, fulfilling the state plan by 102 per cent, Dan Belenkiy, head of Glavrybvod, said, describing these figures as a solid result. 

Fish feed was the biggest challenge last year, though, in the end, Glavrybvod even benefited from the crisis, as it managed to switch to Russian products, which appeared to be cheaper. Speaking about technology, Belenkiy said that Glavrybvod modernized 60-70 per cent of state-owned hatcheries during the past six years, and they did not require additional investments. 

On the other hand, 20-30 per cent of state-owned hatcheries need some modernization, Belenkiy said, admitting that that task “has become a little more complicated now.”