Alaska seafood industry urges ban on Russian seafood

The Alaska seafood industry has announced its support for a ban on the import of Russian seafood to the US and has also urged Russia to revoke its 7 August ban on US food imports.

The Alaska seafood industry is seeking support from the state’s congressional delegation and the United States trade representative for the ban.

Alaskan companies including Alaska General Seafoods, Alyeska Seafoods, Icicle Seafoods, North Pacific Seafoods, Ocean Beauty Seafoods, Peter Pan Seafoods, Trident Seafoods, UniSea, Westward Seafoods and the members of the Alaska Bering Sea Crabbers are endorsing the proposed ban.

According to the proposal, the ban would remain in place until Russia revokes its ban on US imports. It would also include mechanisms to prohibit the import of Russian seafood that comes to the US through China.

The US currently imports hundreds of millions of dollars of Russian seafood every year.

While Russia imports seafood products like salmon roe, hake and Alaskan Pollock from the US, it exports products like crab, Russian pollock, salmon and caviar to the US.

UniSea president and CEO Terry Shaff said: "We did not start this fight, and we hope the Russians will call off their embargo. But a
US ban will signal to President Putin that America will not sit idly by while Russia disregards international law and tries to coerce the world into ignoring its transgressions through retaliatory actions."