Russia Seeks to Expand Fish and Seafood Exports to China Following Japan’s Trade Restrictions
Russia hopes to increase its exports of marine products to China in response to China’s ban on Japanese seafood imports following the release of treated radioactive water from the stricken Fukushima nuclear plant.
Russia is one of China’s largest suppliers of marine products, with 894 Russian companies authorized to export seafood, according to Rosselkhoznadzor, the Russian food safety agency, in July.
Rosselkhoznadzor announced its intention to increase the number of exporters in a statement released late Friday.
“The Chinese market, in general, is promising for Russian fish products. We hope to increase the number of certified Russian companies and ships, the volume of products, and its range,” the Rosselkhoznadzor statement said.
To assist in this effort, Rosselkhoznadzor intends to continue dialogue with China on seafood safety issues and to complete negotiations with China on regulations for Russian marine product supply to the country, according to the statement.
China has already prohibited some Japanese food imports, but on Thursday it imposed a complete ban due to worries about the “risk of radioactive contamination” after the released treated water.
China was the destination for more than half of Russia’s exports of aquatic products between January and August, according to an unspecified statement, with the majority of these exports consisting of pollock, herring, flounder, sardines, cod, and crab.
According to Russia’s fisheries agency, Russia exported 2,3 million metric tons of marine products worth approximately $6.1 billion last year, or roughly half of its total catch. China, South Korea, and Japan were the largest importers.
Navigating Controversy: Japan’s Response and Russia’s Stringent Seafood Regulations
Japan asserted that Russia and China’s criticisms were unsupported by scientific evidence and that water pollution levels will be below those deemed safe for human consumption by the World Health Organization.
Still, Rosselkhoznadzor stated that it has tightened the screening of Japanese seafood imports, even though the volumes are insignificant.
The regulator also stated that changing the direction of currents in Russia’s Far East, where roughly 70% of Russia’s seafood is caught, “would prevent contamination” of marine products caught by Russian ships.
It has also tightened radiological controls on seafood caught in Russian waters near Fukushima and will test selected samples for radiation levels, according to Interfax, citing Rosselkhoznadzor’s Pacific office.
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Source: REUTERS
