“Let Them Look at Themselves First.” Russia Responds to Baltic States’ Claims of Violating Fishing Rules

Russia will continue to fish in the Baltic Sea despite the Baltic states’ claims. According to the head of the Russian Federal Agency for Fisheries, Ilya Shestakov, the Baltic states have much more problems with their fish stocks, so Moscow considers such statements inappropriate.

Shestakov emphasized that Russia independently regulates fishing in its territorial waters. “If they have any problems related to fishing in their territorial waters and in their economic zone, we do not tell them how to behave,” he said.

Baltic States Accuse Moscow of Violating Fishing Bans

In July, Undercurrent News published reportedthat Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Sweden have accused Russian fishing companies of fishing for cod, herring and sprat in the Baltic Sea during seasonal closures. In response, the countries have issued a joint statement calling on the Council and Commission of the European Union (EU) to respond.

According to the president of the All-Russian Association of Fishery Enterprises, Entrepreneurs and Exporters (VARPE) German Zverev, these accusations are unfounded. He suggested that the Baltics want to leave the European Union without Russian fish and gain a competitive advantage.

“In reality, they are only concerned about the profits of their own companies, which will benefit from the likely increase in prices in EU countries if Russian fish products stop coming in and a shortage arises,” he emphasized.

According to him, European processors have encountered problems in finding raw materials and rising prices imposed on cod and pollock from Russia. Zverev is convinced that this demonstrates the fragility of the balance of supply and demand in European markets, which negatively affects the availability of fish for citizens.

Rosselkhoznadzor Accuses Europe of Sabotaging Russian Fish Supplies

The EU is sabotaging the solution to the problem of allowing Russian fisheries companies to supply products to Western markets. Representatives of Rosselkhoznadzor accused European partners of this step.

The Russian side also stated that it approved the supply of domestic livestock products to the markets of South Africa and Indonesia.