OREANDA-NEWS. April 11, 2013. Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine and Ministry of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs of Norway have agreed to strengthen joint control over quality of imported to Ukraine fish goods.

In particular, there will be created a joint group of veterinary control to oversee the quality of products. Moreover, specialists in veterinary medicine of the two states will make trips to Ukraine and Norway. It was discussed during a meeting of Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food Mykola Prysyazhniuk and Minister of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs of the Kingdom of Norway Lisbeth Berg-Hansen.

“Norway occupies the positions of main supplier of fish goods and other water bioresources to the market of Ukraine. In the general amount of the imported fish products the Norwegian production makes up 30%. Ukraine has created favourable conditions for Norwegian importers, including reduction of customs clearance in the recent years. However, we do not have to forget about quality of the imported fish,” Mykola Prysyazhniuk noted.

In his turn, head of State Veterinary and Phytosanitary Service of Ukraine Volodymyr Gorzheyev, who also participated in the meeting, informed the interlocutors that in the current year there were fixed three cases of discrepancies with bacteriologic showings in fish from Norway. So, in order to prevent consumption of dangerous products by Ukrainian people he demanded to make a visit of Norwegian specialists to Ukraine and national specialists to Norway.

Mykola Prysyazhniuk proposed to create a joint Ukrainian-Norwegian panel of veterinary control which will deal with maintaining control over the quality of Norwegian fish in the places of clearance on Ukraine’s territory. 

Minister of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs of the Kingdom of Norway Lisbeth Berg-Hansen agreed with propositions of the Ukrainian party.

“Norway is the second fish supplier in the world taking into account the volumes and exports it to 150 countries. That’s why the issues of quality and development of cooperation are very important for us. Ukrainian market has a huge significance for Norwegian fish products. Over the recent years considerable place in the trade turnover is taken by herring and salmon and it is the result of successful work of Norwegian exporters and our Ukrainian partners, who want to enlarge the market,” the Minister emphasized.

Moreover, during the event a Protocol on reaching agreement between the State Agency of Fishery of Ukraine and Ministry of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs of Norway concerning certificates for fishing water bioresources was signed. 

In the future Ukraine and Norway are interested in creating of joint enterprises in the area of fish industry. The Ukrainian party also suggested a proposal to use national fish processing ships for taking fish raw products from Norwegian vessels, primary processing, freezing and transporting to Ukraine.