13 September 2006
Court will hear Arkhangelsk Trawler Fleet case on 20 September

The Thirteenth Arbitrary Appeal Court of St. Petersburg postponed the hearing case filed by the Arkhangelsk Trawler Fleet and the Federal State Property Management Agency seeking restitution against the Mauritanian firm, Societe de Promotion de la Peche, over three trawlers detained in Mauritania to 20 September.

The hearing was postponed because the representative of the Mauritanian firm, Societe de Promotion de la Peche, did not present duly completed mandate. The official representative of Murmansk Sea Fishery Port (the trawlers are registered in this port) also did not receive the notice of hearing.

In 2004, on the basis of a Mauritanian court decision made with many apparent procedural irregularities, the disputed property (the trawlers) was passed to the Mauritanian firm, Societe de Promotion de la Peche, as payment for an alleged debt. However the Russian company disputes the fact that there was a debt and questions the verdict of the Mauritanian court, and is bringing an action in the Russian courts to resolve the issue of the Arkhangelsk Trawler Fleet's rights to three trawlers.

In June 2006, the Murmansk region ruled that the defendant - Mauritanian firm Societe De Promotion De La Peche, was, holding the Kapitan Kononov, Yuozas Aleksonis and Tralmeister Mogutov fishing ships without legal grounds and that they legally belong to ATF. Furthermore they found that the Mauritanian court does not have jurisdiction over these trawlers. Under the Murmansk court ruling, Societe De Promotion De La Peche is required to return the three trawlers to their legal owner. The Mauritanian firm, Societe de Promotion de la Peche, has decided to appeal.