Russian fishermen highlight joint action and international cooperation towards sustainable fishery

Russian fishery industry companies are ready to develop value-added processing of aquatic species inside the country and secure reliable shipments of Russian fish to the world market, according to the resolution of the Second International Fishermen's Congress quoted by FishPortal.

Conservation and sustainable exploitation of aquatic stocks have been the core issues discussed at the congress. Besides, the participants have spoken about a balance of interests of the government and the industry players. The above issues are in direct connection with food safety embracing a lot of aspects. The participants have acknowledged the importance of the international cooperation in order to solve the current problems.

In the resolution of the congress the fishermen have conveyed their proposals as to the development of the fishery industry. According to the document, growth of the world harvest, stabilization of the fish market and arrival at a common position as to optimal form of the fishery industry management are possible only subject to consolidation of all the members of the fishery industry community.

Thanks to united efforts, the fishermen hope to secure sustainable fishery and take efficient measures against poaching. Illegal fishing operations should be contended both by the countries on which territories the biological stocks are illegally harvested and by the states where the black catch is sold. The fishery in the national economic zones will be allowed only to the users committed to sustainable operations. The vessels illegally operating in the national EEZs should be denied port services, the fishermen resolved at the congress.

Besides, compliance with the standards of the ecological certification of the fishing companies is supposed to provide for transparency and safety of the fish business. A good example of that is the Alaska Pollock Fishermen's Association which has agreed to certify the APO fishery in Russia for compliance with MSC requirements. As a result, shipments of illegally harvested pollock to the world market have grown considerably smaller.

Along with the above, the participants of the congress have agreed to apply the scientific methods of forecasting the condition of the fish stocks and to follow the recommendations of the allowable catch volumes towards sustainable exploitation of the aquatic resources at maximum sustainable yield. Within the cooperation framework the fishermen have agreed to exchange information in order to disclose unscrupulous competitors and cases of poaching.

In the year 2008 representatives of the international fishing community are going to meet again at the next International Fishermen's Congress and to establish a continuously working body of the congress. The organization is supposed to develop a draft agreement covering measures of fighting against illegal fishery.