Crab Investment Quota Auctions in Russia's Far East and Northern Basins Fail Again, No Bidders for Eight Lots

On November 9, 2026, Russia's auction of crab fishing quota shares conditioned on investment obligations was again declared invalid. No participation applications were received for any of the eight lots, and the auction drew no bidders.

The auction offered buyers fishing rights in the Far East and Northern basins, with the obligation to build crab fishing vessels at domestic shipyards.

In the Far East basin, the lots were fishing rights for opilio snow crab (краб-стригун опилио, i.e. opilio snow crab) in the East Sakhalin subzone (Восточно-Сахалинская подзона), comprising two investment-purpose quota shares and two "2022 investment-purpose quota shares" (the name of the quota category), each at 50%. The starting price for this lot was approximately 5.8 billion rubles.

In the Northern basin, four investment-purpose opilio snow crab quota shares were auctioned, each at 25%. The starting price was approximately 11.5 billion rubles.

Under the auction terms, the winning bidder must build one crab fishing vessel at a domestic shipyard.

Previously, in October 2026, an auction of crab quotas conditioned on investment obligations also failed to take place because no participation applications were submitted, after which the starting price was lowered.