Several EU states increased Russian seafood imports in 2025, with pollock, cod and crab dominating flows routed to Germany, Netherlands and Poland.
Imports Rise Through Multiple EU Gateways
Despite ongoing restrictions on direct trade with Russia, new EU trade data shows that Russian-origin seafood continued to enter the bloc at significant scale in 2025.
Total imports reached more than 200,000 tonnes, with a value exceeding €1.3 billion. Much of this volume continues to arrive indirectly through processing countries before entering the EU single market.
Germany, Netherlands and Poland Among Largest Importers
Germany remained one of the main entry points for Russian-origin seafood. Large volumes of frozen pollock, cod fillets, and whitefish blocks entered the German processing and re-export sector, which supplies major retailers across central Europe.
The Netherlands continued as a major receiving hub, particularly for frozen blocks and surimi-grade pollock intended for reprocessing and redistribution throughout the EU. Dutch cold-storage capacity and well-established seafood logistics make it a central node for Russian-origin products entering the bloc.
Poland also saw increases in Russian-origin imports, mainly due to its extensive processing industry. Polish factories continued to handle pollock, cod and salmon products that then move into EU retail chains in Germany, France and Spain.
Spain and France imported smaller but still significant volumes of Russian-origin shellfish and whitefish, largely routed through third-country processors before arrival in the EU customs area.
Groundfish Species Dominate Russian-Origin Supply
Pollock remained the single largest species category entering the EU. Large frozen blocks, fillets and minced raw material were delivered for processing into fish fingers, coated products, ready meals and surimi. The bulk of this material was destined for German, Polish and Dutch factories.
Cod products, particularly frozen fillets, also maintained a substantial presence. These were primarily routed to Germany, the Netherlands and Lithuania for reprocessing before distribution to major EU retail markets.
Crab products, including frozen cooked snow crab and king crab, continued to reach high-value markets in France, Spain and Italy. Volumes remained lower than for groundfish but contributed significantly to import value.
Salmon imports of Russian origin also persisted through non-EU processing hubs, particularly China and Belarus, before reaching EU ports. These volumes supplied smoked salmon producers and fresh‑packed retail distributors in Germany, the Netherlands and the Baltic states.
Products Enter EU Supply Chains Through Processing Routes
A large share of Russian seafood entering the EU in 2025 originated from processing hubs outside the bloc. China remained the dominant reprocessing pathway for Russian pollock and cod. Processed blocks labelled as non‑Russian continued to enter the EU under existing customs rules.
Belarus, Turkey and Norway also acted as transit or processing points for Russian-origin groundfish and crab. Once reprocessed, shipments entered EU ports without being recorded as direct Russian imports.
Major EU Markets Receiving Russian-Origin Products
Germany remained the largest end‑market for Russian-origin seafood, particularly pollock-based processed foods and cod fillets. Retail chains continued to rely on these imports due to high demand and limited alternative supply.
France and Italy received substantial volumes of crab, cod and smoked salmon products, mostly processed abroad before entering the EU.
Spain, with its large seafood-processing sector, imported pollock and whitefish primarily for reprocessing into breaded products and retail pack formats.
Northern European states, including Denmark, Lithuania and Latvia, absorbed volumes intended for secondary processing, redistribution and export to larger EU markets.
EU Demand Outpaces Domestic and Allied Supply
Despite political pressure for stronger sanctions, the EU market continues to depend heavily on Russian-origin groundfish. Falling quotas for several EU and Norwegian whitefish stocks maintained strong demand for imported pollock and cod. With fewer domestic alternatives and rising global prices, Russian-origin seafood maintained competitive access to EU markets via indirect routes throughout 2025.
EU Moved to Enforce Russian Seafood Imports in 2025
The European Union’s move to ban seafood imports from Russian giants such as Norebo and Murman Seafood marks the first time the bloc has directly targeted Russia’s fish sector.
The listings were adopted in May 2025 as part of the EU’s seventeenth sanctions package, following allegations that both companies were involved in state‑sponsored surveillance and intelligence gathering across European and Norwegian maritime areas. EU officials stated that vessels linked to Norebo and Murman were part of a wider hybrid campaign aimed at monitoring or potentially sabotaging critical subsea infrastructure, including cables and energy connections vital to European security.
Both companies were accused of using their commercial fishing operations as cover for covert activities, with incidents involving unusual vessel movements near NATO facilities and sensitive cable routes cited in support of the sanctions. One example referenced by European authorities involved Murman’s trawler Melkart‑5, which operated in the vicinity of a damaged subsea cable near Svalbard, raising suspicions about possible intelligence-gathering. Several Norebo vessels were similarly highlighted for loitering near Western maritime infrastructure in patterns deemed inconsistent with ordinary fishing activity.
The sanctions prohibit the companies from accessing EU ports, freeze any EU‑based assets, and ban EU entities from making funds or resources available to them. The action is intended to curtail Russian intelligence capabilities at sea, especially in the Barents and Norwegian Seas where Russian trawler fleets have historically operated close to European borders. The measures were quickly echoed by Norway, which aligned with the EU’s listings, citing similar security concerns and the need to limit the operational reach of vessels believed to be involved in hybrid activity.
Norebo has publicly rejected the allegations as politically motivated, describing the EU’s claims as “false” and unsupported by proof. The company has since filed a legal challenge with the EU’s General Court, arguing that the evidence used to justify the listing is hypothetical, contradictory, and based on erroneous assessments. Murman Seafood has issued similar denials, and Moscow has formally protested the sanctions, calling them illegal and threatening retaliatory measures that could jeopardise long‑standing fisheries agreements in the Barents Sea.
For the EU, the ban represents an escalation in its efforts to close off Russian revenue streams and limit the country’s intelligence footprint in European waters. For the seafood industry, however, the implications may be more complex. Norebo and Murman are among Russia’s largest distant‑water operators and major suppliers of whitefish to global markets. While direct trade into the EU is now prohibited, analysts warn that indirect flows through third‑country processors may continue, complicating enforcement and potentially reshaping supply chains that feed into the European retail and processing sectors.
