Russia strengthens the production of processed fish products to meet domestic and international market demand

In 2025, Russia's production of frozen fish saw a slight decline, but the production of frozen fish fillets increased, with frozen fish production falling by 3% to 2.6 million tons, and frozen fish fillet production rising by 9% to 253,000 tons. The production of cod fillets caught at sea reached 102,000 tons, a year-on-year increase of 26%, while the production of Pacific herring fillets totaled 74,000 tons, a year-on-year increase of 17%. The production of canned fish decreased by 5% compared to 2024, reaching 189,000 tons. In 2025, Russia produced a total of 4.1 million tons of fish and fish products. Russia's main goal is to maintain the growth in fish fillet production to meet both domestic supply and export needs. According to previous data from the Russian Association of Fish Producers (VARPE), Russia ranked among the top three global fish fillet exporters in 2024, alongside China and Vietnam. Russia has the potential to export up to 250,000 tons of fish fillets annually, with export growth dependent on the expansion of processing capacity. Analysts point out that Russia's fish products benefit from competitive prices, high quality, and good logistics conditions, especially considering the Far East's geographical proximity to Asian markets. Frozen pollock fillets from Russia are generally priced lower than similar products from the United States or Norway. Russian exporters also bear most of the tariff and sanction costs themselves, making them attractive overseas. Russia's fishing areas, including the Northwest Pacific region, are considered environmentally clean, meeting the demands of foreign markets.