Every year, this meeting becomes the assembly point of the institute's scientific potential: the heads of the branches come together not only to report on the work done, but also to chart a course for the coming months, a course on which the development of the entire fisheries sector of the country largely depends.
The day began with a special impression: before the start of the official part, Kirill Kolonchin, Director of VNIRO, Doctor of Economics, together with his deputy, Konstantin Bandurin, head of the Atlantic Branch, visited new facilities: a newly opened taxidermy workshop and a metrological center. For scientists, these are not just new rooms, but additional opportunities for accurate and visual work: from reference measurements to the creation of scientific collections that help to better understand biodiversity and population dynamics.
Kirill Kolonchin himself opened the ceremony, and then Ilya Shestakov, head of Rosrybolovstvo, greeted the participants via video link. His words set the tone for the entire meeting: "The VNIRO Board traditionally acts as an authoritative expert platform where the strategic vector of development of the entire Russian fisheries complex is laid. The current stage sets us large-scale tasks, the solution of which is impossible without a deep, mathematically accurate scientific justification."
The program of the meeting turned out to be rich and truly interdisciplinary. Oleg Bulatov, VNIRO's Director of Research, presented a look at how VNIRO's current research correlates with the main priorities of the industry. Evgeny Usolov, Deputy Director, outlined the long-term perspective, talking about the strategic directions and target indicators for the development of the institute up to 2032 — this is a kind of "roadmap" that helps all branches move in a single rhythm.
Special attention was paid to breakthrough areas. Nikolay Muge, Director of the Department of Genetics and Genomic Breeding, presented plans to create a National Center for Genetic Aquatic Biological Resources, a project that can seriously strengthen the scientific base of breeding and conservation of biodiversity. Victoria Barinova, Director of the Department of Aquaculture, focused on aquaculture, outlining which scientific priorities will help the industry grow sustainably and efficiently. Dmitry Sinitsyn, Deputy Director, spoke about VNIRO's digital transformation: how modern technologies are already changing approaches to data collection, analysis and storage, and which digital tools will become key in the near future.
Concluding the meeting, Kirill Kolonchin summed up the results, emphasizing that the solutions developed are not abstract plans, but concrete tools that allow us to respond promptly to any challenges. In recognition of his achievements, he presented departmental awards to specialists whose daily work makes VNIRO science alive, accurate and in demand.
VNIRO Press Service
