The document has been drafted by the Ministry of Agriculture under the Fishing Industry Development state programme, approved by Government Resolution No 315-r of 7 March 2013.
The action plan includes the following measures to prevent illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and to eliminate the causes of and the conditions that contribute to the development and growth of this business:
- Analyse Russian legislation for compliance with international law and submit proposals for optimising it to the Government. In particular, to ensure the regulation of the acceptance, loading, transportation, storage and unloading of biological water resources; to regulate the procedure for chartering fishing vessels; to inspect vessels that sail under foreign flags in Russian seaports; and to properly mark fishing vessels and fishing equipment.
- Strengthen control over biological water resource trade.
- Create a system to monitor the origin of biological water resources at all stages of their moving.
- Introduce electronic log books and e-signatures for fishing vessel captains
- Take measures to prevent Russian nationals from participating in illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing or supporting it
- Develop international cooperation in preventing illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and illegal biological water resource trade
- Strengthen administrative and criminal punishment for the violators of Russian legislation on fishing and on the preservation of biological water resources
- Take regular preventive measures to expose and stop the illegal production of biological water resources.
Under the directive, the Agriculture Ministry is to approve by 20 February 2014 the list of measures towards the implementation of this action plan, drafted in cooperation with the concerned federal executive agencies, and to submit annual reports on the progress and results of its implementation.
This directive is aimed at increasing the efficiency of state control over fisheries and the preservation of biological water resources.
