Opens up for more salmon imports from Norway
The Russian veterinary service Rosselkhoznadzor is found guilty by the Federal Antimonopoly Service in illegal reduction of the number of importers of Norwegian salmon.
According to the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS), Rosselkhoznadzor has been involved in trying to establish a monopoly on imports of salmon from Norway FAS’ web site reads.
This is good news for Norwegian salmon producers who for a long time have been on and off the list over companies blacklisted to the Russian market. According to the producers, Rosselkhoznadzor has been using threats against Norwegian companies:
- If our company does not enter an exclusive long-term contract with of the four companies belonging to the Russian Fisheries Association, the Russian Veterinary Service will “find” bacteria in our fish, a producer tells NRK.
In October three fish producers were banned from the Russian market on accusations of listeria bacterias in their fish products, including Kirkenes Processing, who received a warning note about the ban a couple of weeks before it came into force, BarentsObserver reported..
Kirkenes Processing, a small-scaled organic salmon producer on the shores of the Barents Sea, has had to dismiss 24 workers after the ban on imports to Russia, Finnmarken reports. Norwegian Food Safety Authorities carry out inspections of Kirkenes Processing’s products on a regular basis, and there have never been any complaints from their side. Listeria bacterias have never been found in the fish from Kirkenes Processing.
Russia is Norway’s second largest market for salmon after France. Norwegian salmon producers believe that Russia will pass France on this list by the end of 2012.
