Russia is an important market for Argentine hake. (Photo: Stock File)

Russia suspends licenses to export fishery products to 51 establishments

ARGENTINA
Thursday, February 16, 2017, 22:10 (GMT + 9)

The Russian Federation, through the Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance (Rosselkhoznadzor), suspended since 2 February the export authorization of fishery products to 51 establishments, including fishing vessels and processing plants, while 104 were enabled.

The measure was informed by the National Service of Health and Agrifood Quality (Senasa) through a memorandum from the Director of Fishery and Aquaculture Product Safety, Gustavo Perez Harguindeguy, sent to the thematic coordinators of food safety and quality, El Diario de Madryn reported.

Russia ranks tenth among the main destination countries of Argentine fishing exports in 2017. According to statistics from the Undersecretariat of Fisheries, 13,251 tonnes were exported to that destination last year, worth USD 28.6 million.

Some 9,225 tonnes were exported of hake hubbsi alone, making it the fourth most important market in that segment, and the participation of the Patagonian shrimp is growing as well.

Senasa recognized that in the official page of the Rosselkhoznadzor modifications were made in the list of Argentine establishments authorized to export fisheries products towards that destination.

Among the 51 establishments that cannot ship their products to Russia are fishing vessels from Argenova, Conarpesa, Pesquera Santa Cruz, Pesquera Veraz, Solimeno and Cruz del Sur. Also processing plants located in Patagonian ports and Mar del Plata such as: Food Partners Patagonia, Pespasa, Gaveteco, Pampa Fish, Pyda, Red Chambers Argentina and Marajo, among others.

Sensasa said it did not know the reasons for the suspension, and anticipated that it had asked the area of international relations to make the corresponding claims.

The body ordered extreme controls to avoid certifying merchandise (provisional and definitive) from establishments that are suspended until the situation can be reversed.

It also requested that those establishments which had exported to that destination and whose goods had not yet arrived at port or were detained upon their arrival in Russia "proceed to inform the news to the Veterinary Inspection Service (SIV) appointed at the plant, to inform date and number of final sanitary certificate of export, to scan each of them, in case it had to be sent to Russia to authorize the entry of the merchandise," the memorandum explains.

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