Latvia issues protest note to Russia over fish ban

Jan 18, 2007, 13:20 GMT

Riga - The Latvian Embassy in Moscow issued a diplomatic note to the Russian Foreign Ministry on Thursday over a ban on the import of Latvian canned fish.

'In the note, Russia is invited to raise its groundless barriers to the import of preserved fish from Latvia... Latvia hopes that in the future, Russia's demands will be clear, well-grounded and fair to both local and foreign producers,' a ministry statement read.

The note is the latest blow in a dispute over Latvian exports of canned smoked fish - a popular delicacy in Russia. Last October Moscow banned imports from several producers, claiming that their fish contained excess levels of the carcinogen benzopyrene.

Latvian producers accused Russia of protecting its own canning industry, saying that Russian canned sprats are as saturated with benzopyrene as are Latvian ones.

Last week a St Petersburg laboratory gave samples of Latvian sprats a clean bill of health, with news wires reporting that the Russian Customs service had been ordered to lift the ban. The reports have not been enough to assuage Latvia's wrath, however.

'Despite information published in the media to the effect that the Russian Customs service has lifted the ban... the Latvian side has not yet received confirmation from Russian Customs service officials,' the press release said.

The fish industry is one of Latvia's main export sectors. Total exports in 2005 were valued at 55 million lats (101.3 million dollars), of which over half went to Russia.

Fish export companies say that in November and December 2006, their exports to Russia totalled only 10 per cent of the value of the same period in 2005, the Leta news agency reported.