The Thirteenth Arbitration Appeal Court of St. Petersburg has taken the 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.

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.