Russian fishing industry supports denunciation of fishing agreement with Britain

MOSCOW. Jan 18 (Interfax) - The Russian fishing industry supports the government's plans to denounce the fishing agreement with the UK that the parties signed back in Soviet times.

As reported, the government plans to consider the federal bill "On denouncing the fisheries agreement between the government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland " during a meeting on Thursday.

The respective parties signed the agreement on May 25, 1956 in Moscow. The agreement stipulates that British vessels may fish in the waters of the Barents Sea.

German Zverev, president of the All-Russia Fisheries Association (VARPE), said that VARPE supports the decision. Zverev recalled that an article in the agreement stipulates that one of the parties may denounce the agreement, and that this does not constitute a violation of international law.

Zverev said that since the agreement is predominantly unilateral, and there are no commensurate benefits for Russia, the consequences of denunciation would affect only the second party, Great Britain, which would not be able to fish in the Barents Sea.

"We understand this to be the response of the Russian authorities to the unfriendly actions of Britain. The country imposed sanctions against Russia in the summer of 2022 that include an additional levy of 35% to import domestic white fish. Our country enjoyed most favored nation status within the World Trade Organization prior to this," Zverev said.

Zverev said that the duty on domestic white fish has reduced the price attractiveness of Russian fish for UK processors and distributors. Meantime, for example, the UK imported 432,000 tonnes of white fish totaling around $1 billion in 2020, with 48,000 tonnes, over 11%, coming from Russia. Moreover, a significant proportion of Chinese white fish exports to the UK, 33%, were of Russian provenance.