While caviar is subject to sanctions, significant quantities of Russian fish continue to be imported into Europe. This inexpensive product, particularly popular in Switzerland, finds its way into restaurants and hotels.
Pascal Michel / ch media
Russia is the fourth-largest fish producer globally, with its fishing industry harvesting 4.7 million tons of fish annually. These goods are exported worldwide, generating $7.4 billion in revenue in 2022 alone, according to the United Nations. This trend shows no signs of slowing down.
Fishing is an important export sector for Russia.Bild: www.imago-images.de
Russian perch and Alaska pollock are also finding their way onto Swiss plates. The extensive sanctions imposed in response to Russia’s war in Ukraine have not altered this pattern. Last year, Swiss traders imported 646 tons of Russian fish, equivalent to a value exceeding 7.2 million Swiss francs, as the Federal Customs Office reported in response to a request from CH Media.
This affordable fish from Russia is particularly favored in the catering industry, where cost-effectiveness is essential for menu pricing. For instance, the wholesaler Transgourmet, a subsidiary of the Coop Group, sells Russian perch fillets for 17.90 Swiss francs per kilogram. Its online shop clearly labels their origin: caught in Russia, processed in Kazakhstan. In contrast, Swiss perch costs almost triple this price, exceeding 50 francs per kilogram.
Popular in gastronomy: Russian perch fillet.screenshot: mpa
The origin of Transgourmet’s “Quality Fish Fingers” remains less transparent in its current brochure. It simply mentions “FAO 61/67” regarding the fish’s origin. According to international standards, this code denotes the fishing area in the northeast and western Pacific. Customers must conduct further research to understand that Russia actively fishes the Northwest Pacific. However, such labeling is permitted under Swiss law.
Importing and selling Russian fish within Switzerland is also not prohibited. The EU’s sanctions package prohibits the import of Russian caviar and crustaceans but not fish. “Neither the EU nor Switzerland’s sanctions currently mandate a ban on importing fish from the Russian Federation or a related declaration requirement,” stated the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (Seco) in response to an inquiry. Additionally, “Switzerland’s global food supply is a significant concern.”
The unimpeded access of Putin’s fish onto local plates has sparked irritation within the industry. A seasoned Swiss trader, whose company has imported fish from Estonia and Finland for years, asserts, “It’s hypocritical for us to buy tons of Russian fish while imposing widespread sanctions on Putin.” He believes Russia is attempting to secure urgently needed foreign currency by exporting fish at “throwaway prices.” “We shouldn’t participate in that.”
Even without Switzerland having its own sanctions, this trader believes Russian fish should be more clearly labeled. He is convinced that such transparency would result in a decline in sales.
USA also has Russian fisheries in its sights
The United States has adopted a considerably stricter stance. Following the Russian invasion, they not only included oil, gas, and gold on their sanctions list but also targeted Russian fishing.
Last year, US President Joe Biden was compelled to tighten the relevant legislation as Vladimir Putin attempted to disguise his exports through China.
US President Joe Biden has already taken action.Bild: keystone
During the US Senate debate on this legislation, Republican Senator Dan Sullivan from Alaska explained how the Kremlin leader circumvented the fish sanctions: “The regimes of Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping are collaborating to sidestep American sanctions. They send fish and seafood caught in Russian waters to China, where it is processed by Uyghur slave laborers and shipped to the United States.” Sullivan argues that a stricter import ban would not only undermine Putin’s war machine but also contribute to combating Chinese forced labor.
Ukraine welcomes these efforts. A Ukrainian official responsible for sanctions policy recently posed a rhetorical question to Al Jazeera: “Are the lives of a few hundred Ukrainians worth as much as a crab or a salmon?” Kiev’s message to the EU and Switzerland: The fish has a heady stench. Anyone purchasing Russian fish is supporting Vladimir Putin.
Vladimir Putin is profiting from Swiss fish purchases, according to accusations from Kiev and Brussels.Bild: keystone
Boycott in retail, but not in wholesale
However, Switzerland has little room to maneuver to curtail Putin’s fishing business. The Federal Council relies on sanctions imposed by the EU and the UN, and it cannot and will not impose its own sanctions. When asked whether such measures would be considered in future European sanctions packages, an EU Commission spokesperson declined to answer.
Transgourmet, Coop’s subsidiary and catering wholesaler, does not disclose sales figures for Russian fish. “Demand in the catering industry depends on the fish type and product processing. Price and availability are crucial. We are fully implementing the EU’s sanctions once morest Russia for crustaceans and caviar.”
Transgourmet previously had close ties to Russia. The company, acquired by Coop in 2011, operated branches in Russia. However, shortly following Putin’s invasion, Transgourmet sold these branches to local management and completely withdrew from the country.
Transgourmet hasn’t completely severed ties with Russia, as its range of Russian fish demonstrates. Coop, its parent company, has taken a more decisive step in this regard. In the retail sector, Coop no longer wants to supply customers with Russian food products and removed them from its shelves in March 2022, including frozen fish and vodka. But for the catering industry, it seems, Russian fish remains acceptable. (aargauerzeitung.ch)
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Russian Fish: A Controversial Catch in Switzerland
While caviar is on the sanctions list, tons of Russian fish continue to reach Europe. The cheap product is also popular in Switzerland, especially in restaurants and hotels.
Russia is the fourth largest fish producer in the world. Every year, the local fishing industry takes 4.7 million tons of animals out of the water. The country exports the goods all over the world. According to the United Nations, the value of these exports amounted to 7.4 billion US dollars in 2022. And the trend is rising.
Fishing is an important export sector for Russia.Bild: www.imago-images.de
Russian perch and Alaska pollock also end up on Swiss plates. The comprehensive sanctions once morest the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine have not changed this. Last year, Swiss traders imported 646 tons of Russian fish. This corresponds to a value of over 7.2 million francs, as the Federal Customs Office announced in response to a request from CH Media.
The inexpensive fish from Russia is particularly popular in the catering trade. Every cent counts when calculating the menu price. The wholesaler Transgourmet, which belongs to the Coop Group, for example, sells Russian perch fillets for 17.90 francs per kilogram. The online shop clearly states its origin: caught in Russia, processed in Kazakhstan. By comparison, Swiss perch costs almost three times as much – over 50 francs per kilo.
Popular in gastronomy: Russian perch fillet.screenshot: mpa
The origin of the “Quality Fish Fingers” is less clear from the current Transgourmet brochure. There, the only information regarding the origin of the fish is “FAO 61/67”. According to international standards, this code designates the fishing area in the northeast and western Pacific. The fact that Russia also fishes the northwest Pacific intensively can only be understood by customers with additional research. However, such a declaration is permitted under Swiss law.
It is also not forbidden to import and sell Russian fish in this country. The EU’s sanctions package prohibits the import of Russian caviar and crustaceans – but not fish. “Neither the EU nor Switzerland’s sanctions currently provide for a ban on the import of fish from the Russian Federation or an associated declaration requirement,” the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (Seco) wrote in response to a query. In addition, “Switzerland’s global food supply is an important concern.”
The fact that Putin’s fish continues to find its way onto local plates unhindered is causing irritation in the industry. An experienced Swiss trader, whose company has been importing fish from Estonia and Finland for years, believes: “It is hypocritical that we buy tons of Russian fish while we impose massive sanctions on Putin almost everywhere else.” It is clear that Russia is trying to obtain urgently needed foreign currency by exporting fish “at rubbish prices”. “We should not take part in that.”
Even if Switzerland cannot take sanctions of its own, the trader believes that Russian fish should at least be declared more clearly. He is convinced that this would already lead to a decline in sales.
USA also has Russian fisheries in its sights
The United States is taking a much tougher line. After the Russian war of aggression, they not only put oil, gas and gold on their sanctions list, but also targeted Russian fishing.
Last year, US President Joe Biden was even forced to tighten the relevant law because Vladimir Putin had tried to conceal his exports via China.
US President Joe Biden has already taken action.Bild: keystone
During the legislative debate in the US Senate, Republican Representative Dan Sullivan from Alaska explained how the ruler in the Kremlin outsmarted the fish sanctions: “The regimes of Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping are working together to circumvent American sanctions. They send fish and seafood caught in Russian waters to China. There, the goods are processed by Uighur slave workers and then shipped to the United States.” A tightened import ban, according to Sullivan, would therefore not only harm Putin’s war machine, but would also be a contribution to the fight once morest Chinese forced labor.
Ukraine welcomes such efforts. An official in charge of sanctions policy recently to «Al Jazeera» the rhetorical question: “Are the lives of a few hundred Ukrainians worth as much as a crab or a salmon?” The message from Kiev to the EU and Switzerland: The fish stinks from the head. Anyone who buys Russian fish supports Vladimir Putin.
Vladimir Putin is profiting from Swiss fish purchases, according to accusations from Kiev and Brussels.Bild: keystone
Boycott in retail, but not in wholesale
However, Switzerland has little room to manoeuvre to stop Putin’s fishing business. The Federal Council relies on the sanctions imposed by the EU and the UN. It cannot and does not want to impose its own sanctions. When asked whether such measures would be an issue in future European sanctions packages, a spokeswoman for the EU Commission did not want to answer.
Transgourmet, the Coop subsidiary and catering wholesaler, does not disclose any figures on sales of Russian fish. “Demand in the catering industry depends on the type of fish and the processing of the products. Price and availability are crucial. We are fully implementing the sanctions imposed by the EU once morest Russia for crustaceans and caviar.”
Transgourmet once had close ties to Russia. The company, which Coop bought in 2011, also had branches in Russia. However, Transgourmet sold these to the local management shortly following Putin’s war of aggression and withdrew completely from the country.
Transgourmet has not completely broken away from Russia, as the range of Russian fish shows. The parent company Coop has taken more decisive action here. In the retail sector, it no longer wanted to subject customers to Russian food and removed it from its range in March 2022, including frozen fish and vodka. But for the catering trade, it seems, Russian fish is still good enough. (aargauerzeitung.ch)
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That would be a huge stir for the city of lights on Lake Lucerne: Apparently, US megastar Taylor Swift has been staying in Lucerne since Wednesday. The singer has chosen a luxurious address right on the lake. According to rumors, she entered the “Mandarin Oriental Palace” through the back entrance on the night of Wednesday to Thursday. When asked by PilatusToday and Tele 1, the hotel did not want to confirm the rumor – for data protection reasons.