Russian and Chinese vets to conduct mutual inspections of fish factories

Within June current Russia's Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance Rosselkhoznadzor is planning to check 10-15% of Chinese fish processing pants interested to export their seafood to Russia, according to ITAR-TASS.

The list of such Chinese companies has been forwarded to Rosselkhoznadzor by China's State Department of Quality, Inspection and Quarantine in the course of talks in Harbin.

In its part, Rosselkhoznadzor will prepare a list of Russian fish processing companies willing to supply seafood to China and will forward it to the Chinese side as soon as possible, said Rosselkhoznadzor's press-secretary Alexey Alexeyenko. Inspection of the Russian plants will have been completed by the Chinese by the end of September 2007.

According to Alexeyenko, the countries are planning a quarterly information exchange about vessels, calling at ports to land fish and fish products with indication of the cargo's destination point, volume of the lot and fishing grounds. Besides, at the talks the sides decided to speed up approval of the form of export veterinary certificates.