Russian fishermen were offered to allow gutting fish

A bill has been introduced to the State Duma of Russia that allows fishermen to gut and decapitate on board of ships fish caught under the coastal quota.
The current version of the federal law "On Fisheries" does not provide for the possibility of any processing of the catch on board of vessels of coastal fishing.

In the Northern Basin, coastal voyages can last for several days, while raw fish can be stored for no more than 2-5 hours without primary processing. Ungutted fish becomes an excellent breeding ground for the reproduction of harmful microorganisms and is guaranteed not to undergo a veterinary and sanitary examination. This contradiction leads to the fact that the practice of coastal fishing loses all meaning.

The new bill clearly spells out the right of coastal fishermen to primary processing of the catch and delivery to the shore of gutted, drained and decapitated chilled fish and fish heads.

At the same time, according to the current amendments, from July 1, 2022, it will be again prohibited for coastal workers to decapitate fish.