Pine nut harvesting in Russia may be restricted

A new bill in Russia is aiming to regulate the harvesting of pine nuts, particularly from the Korean pine, to prevent unauthorized entrepreneurs from profiting from the natural resource without paying the necessary taxes to the state. Currently, citizens can harvest nuts for personal use without a permit, but large-scale harvesting is often carried out by teams that sell the nuts under the pretense of personal collection, evading taxes and regulations. The bill seeks to formalize this process and criminalize the smuggling of large quantities of pine nuts, with potential penalties including prison sentences of up to 12 years.