Russian vets delayed implementing seafood import restrictions for USA, China and other countries

Russia's Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance Rosselkhoznadzor has given the USA, China, India, Morocco, Indonesia, Mauritania, Madagascar and Singapore time until 1 July 2009 to comply with its requirement as of 1 January 2009 that fish and seafood products exported to Russia be admitted only from foreign plants and ships duly inspected and approved by the vets, reports www.fishnet-russia.com (www.fishnet.ru) with reference to the Service.

The postponement has come from the fact that these countries have not been able, for various reasons, to organize the necessary inspection visits. In the meantime, Russian vets said that they have accepted the good faith assurances of those countries with regard to the safety of their products being supplied to Russia, and so they may continue to supply them until 1 July 2009.