Russian decision dismays Chile’s salmon and fisheries sector
The trade associations SalmonChile and Sonapesca (the salmon producers association and the commercial fisheries association respectively) are rallying to seek political support from the Chilean government to appeal a decision from Russia that will greatly affect the salmon and fisheries industries’ export plans this year. According to a recent report from Aqua.cl, the Rosseljoznadzor (Federal Service of Veterinary and Phytosanitary Control of the Russian Federation) sadly surprised Chile’s national fisheries service (Sernapesca) with the long awaited inspection report since the Rosseljoznadzor’s visit to Chile last June, and again in November. The objective of the visits was to meet the suppliers of fishery products imported to Russia, to understand the system of sanitary certification and control in Chile, and to reach a bilateral agreement between both regulators (Sernapesca and Rosseljoznadzor) to allow the continued export of Chilean seafood products from 15 processing plants, and initiate an accreditation plan for another 55 more. In actuality the Russian authorities visited only the top 15 processing plants, and their recent inspection report includes only 13 of those plants as officially accredited to continue with exports to Russia as of next month.
