Ministerial Decree No. 496 validating Regulation on licensing of transhipment and transportation of catch including fish, aquatic animals and plants.

This Regulation establishes the modalities of licensing of transhipment and transportation of catch including fish, aquatic animals and plants in the open sea carried out by legal persons irrespectively of the organizational and legal form thereof and by individual entrepreneurs. Federal Fisheries Committee is the licensing authority. Licensing requirements include: 1) ownership of at least one fishing vessel registered in accordance with the established modalities and complying with the requirements of safe navigation; 2) observance of international agreements concluded by the Russian Federation in the field of fisheries, conservation of aquatic biological resources and safe navigation; 3) data collection and reporting in accordance with the established modalities. Licence is conceded for the period of 5 years.