State Duma banned entry of black-listed foreign vessels into Russian ports

At a meeting on November 9, 2022, the State Duma adopted in the third, final reading a government bill prohibiting foreign vessels engaged in fishing and violating established rules from entering Russian seaports, reports TASS.

The Law supplements Article 79 of the Merchant Shipping Code of the Russian Federation with a norm according to which the seaport captain prohibits the entry of a foreign vessel into the port if such a vessel is included in the list of vessels whose activities are related to "fishing in violation of established rules and requirements." An exception will be the case if the ship is in distress or there is an emergency on board. The document also proposes to establish that the Federal Agency for Fisheries will carry out the inspection of foreign vessels.

The law also prohibits the provision of services in the ports of the Russian Federation to legal entities and entrepreneurs whose vessels carry out fishing in violation of the rules and are on the corresponding list.

The developers of the document note that its adoption will contribute to strengthening "regional and international cooperation in the field of combating illegal fishing", prevent the flow of illegally extracted aquatic biological resources to international and national markets.