Oct
28
Sharp drop in fish exports to the Russian market
Filed Under EN
Sardine canning factory. (Photo Credit: Anfaco)
Sharp drop in fish exports to the Russian market
SPAIN
Tuesday, October 29, 2013, 00:50 (GMT + 9)
The fishing industry exporting to the Customs Union — Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan — is suffering a significant drop in their income, since for more than six months they have not been able to send their fishery products to the Russian market.
This situation causes a great “despair” to about two hundred companies, including refrigeration, canning, marketing or processing firms and ships, mostly from Galicia.
Only one company, Frinova, forming part of Pescanova group, maintains its export permit in effect.
Since April 2013, about 214 seafood firms from Spain have kept the “temporary restriction” label on exports to the Russian market, the newspaper La Opinión reported.
The Spanish firms are prevented from sending their fishery products while awaiting for sanitary checks that the Russian authorities will have to perform.
In the past two years, the fishing shipments to Customs Union fell by 67 per cent, changing from 15,709 tonnes in 2011 to 5,000 tonnes.
Two years ago, Russia was the largest non-EU market of Spanish fishery products: in 2011, it absorbed 18 per cent of exports from Spain. But now the country has been relegated to the sixth place among those requested sanitary certificates.
The associations representing the local fishing industry sent a letter a few days ago to the President of the Xunta de Galicia, Alberto Núñez Feijoo, requesting support. Galician workers want the autonomous government to intensify the diplomatic route allowing the situation to be unblocked.
The affected sector argues that the only solution is that the Customs Union validates and checks the adjustment of the Spanish facilities according to its sanitary ruling.
“The situation is serious and there is a lot of concern. We have argued to the President [of the Xunta] the importance of maintaining trade abroad, which is the one that manages to balance the current complicated situation, with the retracted domestic market,” the representatives of the fleet pointed out.
The industry claims that “it has done what was asked,” so they demand the prompt resolution of the situation to avoid keeping losing the market share.
These claims follow those expressed last June, when the Cooperative of Shipowners of the Port of Vigo (ARVI) sent a letter to the Spanish government in which more attention was asked on the issue. Then they argued that although Russia is not vital to the trade balance, the Spanish fleet depends on sales abroad.
By Analia Murias
editorial@fis.com
www.fis.com
Photo Courtesy of FIS Member ANFACO-CECOPESCA – Asociacion Nacional de Fabricantes de Conservas de Pescados y Mariscos-
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