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Armenia cuts water resources while Russia imports bountiful seafood - NGO chief
11:21 * 25.08.14
The head of an Armenian NGO dealing with the manufacturing and export
of fish products says he sees six major problems in the realization of
the local seafood.
Speaking to Tert.am, Arthur Atoyan, President of the Association of
Armenian Fish Producers and Exporters, first pointed out to the export
mechanisms and the technical conditions that may be applied. "The
second [question] is, how will the protection of exporters' rights and
economic interests be exercised, and who is responsible for them? Our
exporters - once they face pressure - do not have their interests
adequately represented and protected by the corresponding bodies. Once
an exporting company faces a ban or is given a warning, it cannot
continue the export process for a whole year. But the organization in
question puts everything right in just a month - if it committed any
violation at all" he added.
The third problem, Atoyan said, has to do with the Agriculture
Ministry's State Food Safety Service (SFSS). "The SFSS organizes
debates on exports, but not with the knowledge of those representing
the exporters' legal and economic interests. The exporter himself does
that, exercising his constitutional right to [product] realization,"
he said, stressing the importance of protecting an exporter's right to
obtaining information.
Atoyan cited the impact of environmental reforms as the fourth
problem. "The environmental reforms enforced prevent the export
process. The water resources in use are being cut while Russia
receives fish products in unlimited quantities," he noted.
Atoyan further stressed the importance of cooperation with seafood
industries or organizations protecting their interests. "And sixth, it
is important to find out the answer to a very important question: who
benefits from the export? The exporter or [the entity] authorizing him
with such a right? Unless the answer to this question is clarified,
there is no need to jump with enthusiasm and think that there will be
money remittances and flows to our republic," the Association's
president warned.
Atoyan said he knows that the Armenian seafood has a great demand on
the Russian market as an ecologically pure and high-quality product.
"So our task is to tackle the situation the right way," he added.
Tert.am later contacted the SFSS for further comments. A press
secretary talking to our correspondent expressed disagreement to
Atoyan's hint that the difficulties in the fish export result from
abuses. "The SFSS works within the law in general. As for the debates,
he [Atoyan] first turned up without documents, and joined the debates
only after submitting them. We do not create any obstacles as far as
he is concerned," Armine Sukiasyan said.
She added that about 22 companies have submitted export bids to them
in the past two years. "We met everybody half-way and submitted the
bid to our partner service in the Russian Federation," she noted.
Sukiasyan said the local manufacturers are now waiting for the results
of a monitoring by Russian experts to know what and how many companies
will be given an export license.
Commenting on Sukiasyan's remark that a ban prevents a seafood company
from realizing products for about a year, the spokesperson said the
Service is not authorized to intervene in the procedures established
in the Russia. "Whatever is within the Service's obligations is
accomplished; as to what our partner agency in the Russian Federation
will do, I cannot make any evaluation on that," she explained.
http://www.tert.am/en/news/2014/08/25/fish-atoyan/
11:21 * 25.08.14
The head of an Armenian NGO dealing with the manufacturing and export
of fish products says he sees six major problems in the realization of
the local seafood.
Speaking to Tert.am, Arthur Atoyan, President of the Association of
Armenian Fish Producers and Exporters, first pointed out to the export
mechanisms and the technical conditions that may be applied. "The
second [question] is, how will the protection of exporters' rights and
economic interests be exercised, and who is responsible for them? Our
exporters - once they face pressure - do not have their interests
adequately represented and protected by the corresponding bodies. Once
an exporting company faces a ban or is given a warning, it cannot
continue the export process for a whole year. But the organization in
question puts everything right in just a month - if it committed any
violation at all" he added.
The third problem, Atoyan said, has to do with the Agriculture
Ministry's State Food Safety Service (SFSS). "The SFSS organizes
debates on exports, but not with the knowledge of those representing
the exporters' legal and economic interests. The exporter himself does
that, exercising his constitutional right to [product] realization,"
he said, stressing the importance of protecting an exporter's right to
obtaining information.
Atoyan cited the impact of environmental reforms as the fourth
problem. "The environmental reforms enforced prevent the export
process. The water resources in use are being cut while Russia
receives fish products in unlimited quantities," he noted.
Atoyan further stressed the importance of cooperation with seafood
industries or organizations protecting their interests. "And sixth, it
is important to find out the answer to a very important question: who
benefits from the export? The exporter or [the entity] authorizing him
with such a right? Unless the answer to this question is clarified,
there is no need to jump with enthusiasm and think that there will be
money remittances and flows to our republic," the Association's
president warned.
Atoyan said he knows that the Armenian seafood has a great demand on
the Russian market as an ecologically pure and high-quality product.
"So our task is to tackle the situation the right way," he added.
Tert.am later contacted the SFSS for further comments. A press
secretary talking to our correspondent expressed disagreement to
Atoyan's hint that the difficulties in the fish export result from
abuses. "The SFSS works within the law in general. As for the debates,
he [Atoyan] first turned up without documents, and joined the debates
only after submitting them. We do not create any obstacles as far as
he is concerned," Armine Sukiasyan said.
She added that about 22 companies have submitted export bids to them
in the past two years. "We met everybody half-way and submitted the
bid to our partner service in the Russian Federation," she noted.
Sukiasyan said the local manufacturers are now waiting for the results
of a monitoring by Russian experts to know what and how many companies
will be given an export license.
Commenting on Sukiasyan's remark that a ban prevents a seafood company
from realizing products for about a year, the spokesperson said the
Service is not authorized to intervene in the procedures established
in the Russia. "Whatever is within the Service's obligations is
accomplished; as to what our partner agency in the Russian Federation
will do, I cannot make any evaluation on that," she explained.
http://www.tert.am/en/news/2014/08/25/fish-atoyan/