BarentsNews.com

International cooperation with the aim to defeat poaching and illegal export of fish products was the main issue during the last assembly of The State Fishery Committee in Moscow.

The committee puts a lot of efforts into liquidation of poaching and illegal export of fish products in the Exclusive Economical Zone of Russian Federation. Due to changing of economical and legal regulation of fishery business, expanding the authority of involving Russian control-organisations, the committee is trying to improve the present situation. However, an international cooperation still represents an unutilized resource in this context.

Russian economy annually loses approximately 500 mill USD due to poaching and illegal export which are a consequence of depleting of feedstock in The Exclusive Economical Zone of Russian Federation, the new quota rules and significant exceeding of quotas by fishermen, and immature legal regulations of fish industry.

At the present time, The State Fishery Committee of Russian Federation is working on an intergovernmental agreement with Norway regarding the cooperation in defeating illegal fishing and sales of fish products. At the same time, during the meeting, it was indicated that the international cooperation by itself can’t be the only solution. It is also necessary to support actions of the federal authorities in Russia by national legislative and administrative acts.

The assembly has approved the intermediate results, achieved by The State Fishery Committee, and has emphasized the significance of a systematic international cooperation based on the scientific databases and experience.