OREANDA-NEWS. On 23rd October 2013, Moscow Arbitration Court confirmed legitimacy of decision of the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS Russia) on a case on cartel of fishing companies in the Far East for catching and sales of Pollock and the products of its processing.

Earlier FAS found that several legal entities1 concluded a competition-restricting agreement ( cartel) aimed at reducing production of Pollock and the products of its processing (Pollock caviar, Pollock filet, headless Pollock, fish flour, etc.) and, as a consequence, fixing (maintaining) prices on the domestic market. FAS found that “Pollock Catchers Association” Non-Commercial Organization unlawfully coordinated cartel activities.

“While Pollack population is increasing, and as a result как следствие, научно-обоснованного ежегодно растущего объема выделяемых квот, cartel participants agreed to restrict fish harvesting to prevent prices for this type of product going down”, says the Head of FAS Anti-Cartel Department, Andrey Tenischev. “Every year members of the Association in total have not used more than 55-65% of the quotas allocated to them. Also more than 90% of all Pollock caught in Russia were exported to China and Korea. Those two factors created a shortage of Pollock and resulted in fixing Pollock prices in the Russian Federation”.

At the moment, the Department of Interior for the Far East Federal District is considering initiating a criminal case under Article 178 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Administrative proceedings are opened against the companies that violated the law. Six companies are already fined around 50 million RUB, the decisions regarding others will be made in the near future.