Russian value-added pollock production surges 35% in 2022 despite sanctions impacting traditional markets

Russia’s pollock industry continued to ramp up production of value-added pollock products in 2022, furthering a trend that began two years ago.

The country’s total value-added pollock output, including fillets, minced meat and surimi, is expected to reach between 180,000 and 190,000 metric tons in 2022, according to the Russian Pollock Catchers Association (PCA), up around 35 percent from last year.

The sharp upward trend towards value-added formats in pollock production began two years ago, driven by the COVID-19 pandemic when China closed its ports to Russian landings.