VZCZCXYZ0006
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHNY #0583 1281247
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 081247Z MAY 06
FM AMEMBASSY OSLO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3922
INFO RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW PRIORITY 3893
RUEHSM/AMEMBASSY STOCKHOLM PRIORITY 2834

UNCLAS OSLO 000583 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STOCKHOLM FOR FAS:PTHURSLAND 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL ETRD WTO EFIS NO
SUBJECT: RUSSIANS LIFT BAN ON NORWEGIAN SALMON 
 
 
¶1.  (U) Two Norwegian salmon producers resumed exports of 
fresh chilled salmon to Russia after receiving export 
approvals from Russian authorities on April 24.  Producers 
began shipping in the first week of May, officially ending 
the four month old Russian ban on Norwegian salmon. 
According to the Norwegian Seafood Export Council, the two 
producers, Pan Fish AS and Fresh Harvest AS, received the OK 
to ship fresh salmon following joint Norwegian-Russian 
inspections during the first week of April. Two other 
producers were also inspected at the time but have not yet 
received approvals to ship product.  The four companies 
inspected were among the largest processing houses in Norway. 
 
¶2.  (U) On January 1, the Russian Agriculture Ministry placed 
a ban on all fresh Norwegian salmon imports after allegedly 
finding abnormally large amounts of lead and cadmium. 
Subsequent tests by Norwegian officials concluded that the 
salmon was safe to eat.  Norwegian authorities had been 
working with Russian Agriculture Ministry officials to get 
the ban removed ever since.  Joint Norwegian-Russian 
inspections of aquaculture facilities were held from March 27 
to April 5 and the issue was discussed at the political level 
during Russian Prime Minister Fradkov's visit to Oslo in late 
March. 
 
¶3.  (U) Russia is Norway's third largest and fastest growing 
seafood export market.  In 2005, Norway shipped USD 533 
million worth of seafood to Russia.  While the temporary loss 
of the growing Russian market hurt, it did not materially 
damage Norwegian producers as they were able to divert their 
fresh and chilled salmon shipments to Asia and other Eastern 
European countries.  The remainder of their production was 
frozen for later shipment.  Interestingly, the Russians did 
not stop frozen salmon imports which continued during the 
ban. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) COMMENT.  Some observers believe that health issues 
may not have been the real reason for imposing the ban.  The 
Russians may have been concerned about Norwegian salmon 
flooding their market -- Norway is the world's leading salmon 
producer -- or they may have wanted to retaliate for 
increasingly aggressive Norwegian regulation of Russian 
trawlers operating in Norwegian waters.  Regardless of the 
reason for the ban, its removal is good news for the two 
approved Norwegian producers.  Additional approvals will ease 
fears in some quarters over Russians using health regulations 
as foreign policy tools.  END COMMENT. 
Visit Oslo's Classified website: 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/oslo/index.cf m 
 
WHITNEY