stok, and Vostochny, and it continues to maintain
leum products and move equipment for oil and
managerial links with the Nakhodka, Slavyanka,
gas exploration activities to northern settlements.
and Vladivostok ship repair yards.
Northern Shipping Company
Kamchatka Shipping Company
The Northern Shipping Company, one of
The Kamchatka Shipping Company's fleet has
Russia's oldest shipowners, is mainly involved in
declined to 45 to 50 ships totalling 220 million
the transport of sawn timber, cardboard, and pulp-
dwt. It provides regular liner service from the
wood from northern latitudes to Western Europe,
Kamchatka Peninsula to Japan (timber) and the
the Mediterranean, Africa, and the U.S.A. It has a
Koreas (cement). However, its main activities in-
fleet of 106 timber carriers ranging from 1 to 17
volve services to and from ports in the Federation's
years old. Limited quantities of dry bulk and gen-
northeastern region. The company is headquar-
eral cargo are also carried. Its cabotage trade was
tered in PetropavlovskKamchatsky and employs
once at 6 million tons per year but that is down
about 4500. The fleet consists mainly of general
threefold and now its primary trade is interna-
cargo ships with ice-strengthened hulls and an
tional. More recently, the company has begun en-
average carrying capacity of under 4000 dwt. Al-
gaging regular container services to Western
though officially freed from port responsibilities,
Europe. Northern Shipping's homeport is Arkhan-
the carrier continues to be managerially involved
gel'sk, where it employs about 9800 in transport
in the ports of PetropavlovskKamchatsky and
operations and cargo management. Its fleet is rela-
Ust-Kamchatsk, as well as in the Petropavlovsk
tively large, including nine dry bulkers of around
ship repair yard. The company faced closure some-
14,000 dwt and more than 100 general cargo ships
time in late 1994 or early 1995, but that has been
in the 25006000 dwt range, which is typical of the
forestalled by a recent agreement with a South
Russian multipurpose fleet. Before 1991, the com-
Korean company to lease some of Kamchatka's
pany was responsible for the ports of Amderma,
idle ships. It is also trying to branch out from its
Arkhangel'sk, Mezen, Nar'yan Mar, and Onega.
previous nearly exclusive role as a cabotageur
With the exception of Arkhangel'sk, it remains
and develop cross-trading with Japan and South
closely involved in the management of the ports,
Korea.
as well as in the operations of the Krasnaya-
knuznitsa and Layskiydok ship repair yards.
Murmansk Shipping Company (MSC)
The Murmansk Shipping Company has a siz-
Primorsk Shipping Company (PSC)
able fleet of ice-class vessels that provide supply
The Primorsk Shipping Company, established
services to the Arctic region. It also assists in keep-
in 1969 as the tanker division of FESCO, became
ing sea routes open. The company has a diversi-
independent three years later. Though its main
fied service network that extends all over Western
activities were once related to cabotage services
Europe and the Mediterranean. It is headquartered
along Russia's Pacific Rim, it has been freed to
in the city of Murmansk, and has about 9000 on its
pursue international, or cross, trade, particularly
payroll. The fleet does not include cellular con-
with the Far East. PSC's fleet consists exclusively
tainer tonnage, but nine rather large ro-ro carriers
of oil and liquid product tankers. It is a carrier of
(about 20,000 dwt average) provide container car-
oil and petroleum products, vegetable oils, molas-
rying facility. The fleet distinguishes itself also by
ses, and similar cargoes to Japan and South Asia,
having 31 dry bulkers of 18,00022,000 dwt, which
East Africa, and Europe. PSC's headquarters are
are large by Russian standards. Furthermore, there
in Nakhodka, with about 4500 staff involved in
are 24 general-cargo ships in the 4000 dwt range.
transport operations and cargo management. Of
Before 1991, Murmansk Shipping was function-
these vessels, 20 have a capacity between 14,000
ally responsible for the ports of Kandalaksha and
and 20,000 dwt, and the balance is in the 4000 to
Murmansk, and the ties with both ports remain
6000 dwt range. The average age of its 40 tankers
strong. MSC's trade has recently fallen off three-
is only 12 years.
and-a-half-fold due to the high cost of Arctic ship-
ping and the closing of Russia's Arctic research
Sakhalin Shipping Company (SASCO)
and meteorological stations, which it kept sup-
The Sakhalin Shipping Company, founded in
plied. The company entered into a joint arrange-
1945, is the Federation's key cabotage operator,
ment, known as Arctic Shipping Services, with
with much emphasis on searail ferry services. Its
Neste Shipping of Finland in 1993 to ship petro-
service network includes all of Russia's Far East-
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