By now the American party submitted no response to three recent Rosselkhoznadzor’s appeals concerning safety of animals supplied to Russia by sea. Moreover, the issue of cattle exportation from the USA remains extremely burning. For example, out of 3314 animals arrived on board of “PEARL OF PARA” vessel 59 animals died during transportation from Novorossiysk to the farms of destination, 160 animals died during quarantine period on the farms of destination, 180 animals were emergently slaughtered and 665 animals are planned for emergency slaughter due to extreme cachexia. Therefore the Russian consignees in fact short-received over 1000 breeding cattle.

The Rosselkhoznadzor requests the US veterinary service to submit exhaustive information concerning death of 178 animals on board of “PEARL OF PARA” during transportation to Russia, i.e. data on when, where and why animals died, who and how identified causes of death as well as data on post-mortem examination and laboratory test results. In addition, the Rosselkhoznadzor requests the US Veterinary Service to inform about location and state of 195 animals, which could not be unloaded from the vessel and which were returned to the USA by the same vessel. It is worth mentioning that the Russian consignees several times applied to the Rosselkhoznadzor by reason of other violations identified during supplies of live breeding animals from the USA by vessels non-equipped for these purposes and in reconstructed shipping containers that resulted in death of animals, their injuries and production loss and hence to significant financial loss incurred by the Russian consignees. All that is indicative of the US incompliance with the Terrestrial Animal Health Code of the Office International des Epizootics (OIE), chapter 7.2 “Transport of animals by sea” as well as with appropriate WTO rules and regulations. The Rosselkhoznadzor considers that current situation requires urgent consultations with the US Veterinary Service (APHIS), which were mentioned in the message of the Rosselkhoznadzor as of August this year. According to the Rosselkhoznadzor’s consideration a list of measures aimed at increase of control of animal transportation by sea, certification of vessels supposed for animal transportation to Russia by joint commission of the Rosselkhoznadzor and APHIS experts; veterinary control of the breeding animal delivery to the port of destination by the US official veterinarian.

In case of non-constructive attitude of the US Competent Authorities the Rosselkhoznadzor will have to impose temporary restrictions on importation of breeding cattle from the USA by sea.