Russia annually supplies over $200 mln worth of fish to EU - fisheries agency

VLADIVOSTOK. Sept 2 (Interfax) - Russia annually supplies the European Union with over $200 million worth of fish and fish products, though the country could redirect the products to other countries if the EU adds the goods to the sanctions list, Russian Federal Fisheries Agency (Rosrybolovstvo) Director Ilya Shestakov told reporters on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum.

"Fish products are of great importance to the European market. We supply Europe-which is our fourth-largest export destination, with over $200 million worth of fish, and, of course, without Russian products, European consumers will find it quite difficult," Shestakov said, commenting on the European Commission's recent plans to include Russian fish products on the 21st sanctions list and its subsequent abandonment of the idea.

"The European market is important to us, though not critical, because we could always redirect the volumes to other countries," Shestakov said, noting that Russia supplies fish products to over 90 countries.

"The introduction of these sanctions would not be critical for us," Shestakov added.

Shestakov said that local consumers would suffer the most in response to a question about the Europeans' possible return to the idea of fish sanctions.

"We must take care of consumers and processing plants, which, among other matters, use our raw materials to produce finished products," Shestakov said.