Putin tells fishery head to exercise balanced approach to seafood importation issues

PM Vladimir Putin has warned Andrey Krainy, head of Russia's Federal Fisheries Agency, to proceed with care when making advice on restricting seafood importation to Russia, reports www.fishnet-russia.com (www.fishnet.ru) with reference to Prime-TASS.

Presumably, Putin had in mind the potential consequences for the market in terms of inflation and consumer interests. More specifically, the Agency has suggested that importation of Chinese manufactured pollock products, Norwegian herring and Norwegian trout to Russia should be restricted through prohibitive customs duties to make room for seafood produced in Russia. Besides, the fishery head has called for an increase of duties on re-exported Russian fish processed in other countries.

According to Krainy, at present 37% of the Russian seafood market is occupied with imported products. In million-strong cities the share of imported seafood amounts to 50-60% and in Moscow this index is even higher. In the Russian Far East the locally caught herring costs RUB18.00 per kilo, but the product is not demanded on the domestic market. The above measures are called upon to change the situation.

Along with the above, head of the nation's fishery industry has suggested introduction of soft railway tariffs for seafood shipments of seafood products, subsidize fishermen's credits at 2/3 of the refinancing rate of the Central Bank of Russia and extend single agricultural tax to apply to the fishery sector.