OREANDA-NEWS In Russia, they thought about import substitution of Baltic sprats — options for supporting domestic fishermen were discussed in the Federation Council. This was told by the chairman of the Federation Council Committee on Agrarian and Food Policy and Environmental Management, Alexander Dvoynykh, as quoted by TASS.

"I want to note that we have a lot of Baltic sprats on Russian shelves," he said. To change this situation, the senators are considering reducing the tax burden on Russian manufacturers, which could replace imported products on the Russian market. Dvoynykh also noted that if the European Union restricts the import of Russian fresh fish, this decision will primarily affect the European consumer. He suggested that in this case, it is likely that a chain of fish supplies from the Russian Federation through third countries will appear, which will lead to its rise in price for the final buyer. A similar situation occurred with gas, the senator recalled.

He added that Russian producers will need time to reorient export flows, but their damage will be disproportionate to the damage that European citizens will receive. Dvoinykh stressed that against the background of food shortages in the world, the producer's market has developed, not the consumer's. "Therefore, we will be more actively engaged in the construction of recycling infrastructure. I think this will also give us opportunities to some extent," he said.

Earlier it became known that the European Union will discuss restrictions on the import of Russian fish as part of a new package of sanctions against Russia. The Baltic states insist on such measures, in particular, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia and Sweden have accused the Russian authorities of fishing for cod, herring and sprat in the Baltic Sea during seasonal bans that others observe.