Russian vets clarifying recent directive on phytosanitary certificates for fishmeal import / export

In response to a number of questions from the traders Russia's Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance (Rosselkhoznadzor) has commented on its recent directive No.FS-AS-3-1339 dated 18 February 2009 "About issue of phytosanitary certificate for import/export to/from the territory of the Russian Federation of fishmeal", reports www.fishnet-russia.com (www.fishnet.ru) with reference to the Service.

More specifically, the Russian vets say that export of fishmeal of the Russian origin from the territory of the Russian Federation is carried out according to Paragraph 2a, Article IV of the International Plant Quarantine and Protection Convention (Rome, 1951, as edited in 1997), according to which the phytosanitary certificates are issued in compliance with the phytosanitary regulations of the importing side. To present day national organizations on flora quarantine and protection in the importing countries have not been requiring the phytosanitary certificates for the fishmeal products imported from Russia.

Foreign-made fishmeal imported to Russia does not have to be accompanied with phytosanitary certificates of exporter countries and import quarantine permits issued by territorial departments of Rosselkhoznadzor.

In the meantime, the above product is subject to quarantine phytosanitary control at border check points and at the cargo's destination with the reports of state phytosanitary control to be issued as a result.