Russian fisheries inspectors head for Svalbard
The Russian rescue and salvage ship “Murmanryba” today leaves port of Murmansk for a 70 days long inspection mission in the Barents Sea and Svalbard zone. The inspectors will check on trawlers’ technical condition and that fisheries legislation is followed.
Normally the Federal Fishery Agency hires trawlers to be used during inspections in the Barents Sea, but this time a rescue and salvage ship fits the mission better. The ship will have two inspection groups on board – one will control that fishery legislation is being followed while the other will inspect the trawlers’ technical condition, TV21 reports.
2009 started with a tragedy for Murmansk fishers when the trawler ”Topaz-A” took in water and sank outside Bear Island in the Barents Sea. The boat’s captain of died in the accident. According to Head of the Federal Fishery Agency’s territorial administration for the Barents Sea and White Sea, Valentin Balashov, investigations after the accident show that ship-owners neglect safety in their pursuit for profit. ”Topaz-A” had previously to the accident been repaired without any technical overhauling before it left port.
Trawlers of all nationalities will be inspected, mission leader Konstantin Plisko says to TV Murman:
- According to our information, Norwegian trawlers are fishing capelin in the Russian Economic Zone right now. We will most definitively be inspecting them.
Watch video about “Murmanryba”s mission on TV21
