Fish transshipment at sea will be allowed subject to a number of conditions

Acceptance and transshipment of catches without the presence of a border service official may be carried out with prior notice of at least three days, and unloading at a seaport — at least three hours in advance. These requirements are set out in a draft Russian government decree prepared by the Agriculture Ministry.

The document concerns catches of aquatic biological resources and fish products made from them in fishing on the continental shelf and in Russia’s exclusive economic zone. Operations without the presence of border guards will be allowed only in cases defined by the government.

During acceptance, unloading and transshipment, technical monitoring equipment must remain switched on. In particular, this applies to equipment that ensures the continuous automatic transmission of uncorrectable data on a vessel’s location.

When transshipping products from two or more vessels onto one, separate acceptance and unloading for each vessel will be required.

It is proposed that advance notices be sent to the border authority at the place where the operations are carried out by telephone message, fax or email. They must specify the time and place of the work, the types and volumes of catches and fish products, and for acceptance and transshipment, the vessels involved as well.

Any change in the time, place or list of vessels, as well as any refusal of acceptance or transshipment, must be reported immediately.

After unloading at a seaport is completed, the vessel captain will have to notify the border authority within three hours of the actual start and end times, and the types and volumes of the unloaded catches and products.

The decree is expected to enter into force on September 1, 2027 and remain in effect until September 1, 2033.