Chilean salmon for export. (Photo: Sernapesca)
CHILEWednesday, February 11, 2015, 00:50 (GMT + 9)
The Russian Customs Union (Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus) has temporarily restricted imports of 13 Chilean fish plants, according to a report sent from the Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance of Russia (Rosselkhoznadzor) to the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Service (Sernapesca).
Some 118 Chilean plants export their products to the Russian market, and the 13 ones affected by the restriction produce 26 per cent of the total salmon exported to Russia.
According to what Sernapesca informed newspaper La Tercera, the decision of the Russian authorities is due to the detection of "deficiencies based on the Union Customs legislation".
In addition, some sources said the agency could not "venture the type of deficiencies until knowing the report in detail."
Sernapesca said that in 11 of the 13 restricted plants, the decision was made after a visit by a Russian delegation, which took place in November 2014.
At that time, inspectors assessed health certification systems in fish exports from Chile, and various procedures in centres that export to the Russian market.
Only in January 2015, representatives of the Rosselkhoznadzor and the Service met in Germany to discuss the matter.
A meeting in Puerto Montt between Sernapesca officials and representatives of the affected firms was scheduled for Tuesday, to define a joint strategy.
The plants affected by temporary restrictions belong to the following companies:Agroindustrial Santa Cruz, Blumar, Camanchaca, Comercial y Servicios Austral Ltda.,Congelados y Conservas Fitz Roy S.A., Cultivos Marinos Chiloe; Empresas AquaChile, Los Fiordos, Filomena Teran Cruz; Salmones Antartica, Salmones Aysen, Surproceso andYadran.
Sernapesca said that there are four other plants enabled to export to the Russian market after conducting laboratory tests.