Fishery Should Be Suspended

PETROPAVLOVSK-KAMCHATSKI KAMCHATRYBVOD MOSCOW-107140 KRASNOSELSKAYA 17A GLAVRYBVOD VLADIVOSTOK RYBRADIO: MRKT “SOTRUDNICHESTVO”; MRKT “SOZIDANIYE”; MRKT “STANOVLENIYE”; MRKT “SUVERENITET”; MRKT “SOLIDARNOST”; MRKT “STIMUL”; MRKT “MEKHANIK KOVTUN”; MRKT “VLADIMIR STARZHINSKII”; MRKT “KAPITAN AZARKIN”; MRKT “BORIS TROFIMENKO”; MRKT “VIGO”; MRKT “KAPITAN NAZIN”; MRKT “KAPITAN KAIZER”; MRKT “KAPITAN DEMIDENKO”; VLADIVOSTOK GOVERNOR PRIMORSKY REGION NAZDRATENKO; MOSCOW FINANCE MINISTRY VOLKOV; MOSCOW RUSSIAN FPS LOGVINENKO; VLADIVOSTOK “DALMOREPRODUCT TRAWLERS” DIDENKO

The telegram you sent on February 4 this year has been thoroughly examined in Russia’s State Fisheries Committee. The essence of the questions put should be cleared up: the nominate owners of the vessels are “Bergen” and “Bolero” fishing companies, which belonged to “Rybcomflot Ltd.” It is established that the management of this company in the person of Smirnov and Orlov illegally changed the state share of ownership several years ago. At the same time liabilities to the Spanish banks for the credits borrowed were skillfully attributed to Russia’s foreign debt. As a result, they have used money raised by fishermen at their discretion for the recent years. Meanwhile, the Russia’s budget is bearing expenses connected with repayment of these credits. The designated owners of these vessels still avoid adjustment of this matter with the Russia’s Ministry of Finance and Vnesheconombank. Federal bodies helped the executives to ascertain facts of this matter. An action has been brought against Simonov and Orlov. At present, the control authorities of the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of State Property are running a detailed check of Rybcomflot’s fiscal and economical activities. The Russia’s government has taken this matter under its control. Due to instruction of the RF Government #VP-P4-35128 on October 21, 1999, the State Fisheries Committee resorted to incentive measures to make lenders of the fishing vessels discharge their liabilities to the federal budget and make them serve foreign credits. The State Fisheries Committee and Ministry of Finance more than once informed the management of the designated owner “Rybcomflot Ltd.” and a lessee “Dalmoreproduct-Trawlers” about urgent necessity to settle this matter with the federal budget. In addition, it was said that allocation of quotas and fishing in Russia’s EEZ for the vessels mentioned above in the year 2000 would be examined after adjustment of a budget tax structure. Nevertheless, our warnings produced no result on the stated companies. Considering this, the Russia’s State Fisheries Committee according to clause 7 of the minutes of meeting with the First Vice-Chairman of RF Government Mr. Kasyanov on January 18, took decision #MK-P1-P4-1PR to suspend fisheries for 14 supertrawlers in Russia’s EEZ until all questions are settled with the RF Ministry of Finance and Vnesheconombank. The Russia’s State Fisheries Committee realizing this measure to be extraordinary one addressed to the RF Ministry of Finance and Vnesheconombank for them to provide the Committee with latest data possible about its progress and job completion. I request you to familiarize each member of the crews of the aforementioned vessels with this telegram. =152

Telegram # 245 from Vice-Chairman of the State Fisheries Committee Mr. Chistyakov.

“Realizing complexity of the situation with 14 supertrawlers charted by “Dalmoreproduct-Trawlers”, the notice hereby given permits till special order to resume fishing for MRKTs: Sotrudnichestvo, Sozidaniye, Stanovleniye, Suverenitet, Solidarnost, Stimul, Mekhanik Kovtun, Vladimir Starzhinskii, Kapitan Azarkin, Boris Trofimenko, Vigo, Kapitan Nazin, Kapitan Kaizer, Kapitan Demidenko. Fisheries Committees should in accordance with established procedure give (extend) license to the aforementioned vessels of “Dalmoreproduct-Trawlers” on its request for fishery and notify regional FPS (Federal Frontier Service) centers. I inform captains of the vessels that the problem of debt payment for building of these vessels has not been settled yet, therefore relevant solutions are admittable.”