Alaska Pollock Fishermen's Association voicing resentment of EU's requirement of legal catch certificates

Alaska Pollock Fishermen's Association based in Vladivostok has forwarded a complaint to Chairman of Russia's State Duma (Lower House) Boris Gryzlov about the problems associated with the EU's requirement of legal catch certificates as of 1 January 2010, reports www.megafishnet.com (www.fishnet.ru) with reference to the Association.

In his appeal President of the Association German Zverev says that the EU's circular actually qualifies all the Russian fisheries conducted after 1 January 2010 as illegal, unregulated and unreported practices and introduces a ban for direct and indirect import of the above mentioned products to the EU states.

However, such measures can be introduced only by the European Commission and only subject to the procedure stipulated by Articles 31 and 54 of the EU Regulations No.1005/2008 dated 28 September 2008. The Russian side has reportedly been notified neither about the respective procedure nor about its results. Correspondingly, the Association claims, the circular of the Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries of the European Commission is ungrounded and unlawful.

Therefore, the Pollock Association has asked Mr. Gryzlov to commission the Russian delegation in Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe to send an official inquiry about unfriendly and ungrounded actions of some officers of the European Commission and to encourage immediate cancellation of the seafood import ban.