Cod consumption in Portugal may be at risk due to the economic sanctions applied to Moscow by the EU, and the reduction in the fish quota. It is said that the cod that reaches our table comes from Norway, but in reality Russia is the main origin of cod in the world.
Cod, an emblematic product of Portuguese gastronomy and a mandatory presence on Christmas tables, could become a inaccessible luxury for many families this Christmas.
As economic sanctions imposed in recent years by the European Union on Russia are causing a unprecedented crisis in the national cod industry, putting not only supply at risk, but also hundreds of jobs.
The situation, which already last year, has worsened significantly since January 2024, when new 12% rates on the import of Russian frozen cod.
However, the fatal blow arrived in Maywith the 17th EU sanctions package, which blacklisted two Russian fishing companies fundamental to Portugal: Norebo JSC and Murman Sea Food. The first covered around 60% of the cod exported to our country.
Jorge Camarneirovice-president of the Portuguese Confederation of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (CPPME), explains that “around 90% of all cod that Portugal imported for the processing industry came from Russia”.
This dependence goes back to the 90swhen Canada imposed a moratorium on commercial fishing in Newfoundland and Labrador, forcing Portuguese industry to reorganize and find a viable alternative in Russia.
Russian technical superiority in the sector is also undeniable. “Russia has larger vessels, on which they fish, headthey clean and freeze it on board”, explains Camarneiro. “They are the only ones that have raw materials for the Portuguese. No one has the freezing boats, nor the ability to do what the Russians do.”
European sanctions are justified by alleged espionage activities. According to the EU, the vessels of the sanctioned companies were participating in a “Russian state-sponsored surveillance campaign“, hovering suspiciously near critical infrastructure in the North Sea and Baltic Sea.
At the moment, Portugal depends mainly on Norway for supply, but in a disadvantageous position.
Norway, not being a member of the EU, continues to negotiate with Russian companiesbuying from the country raw material, which transforms and resells at high prices. “Norwegian industrialists buy Russian raw materials, transform them and sell them at whatever price they want”, denounces Camarneiro.
The consequences are dramatic for Portuguese consumers. In the last three years, the price of cod shot up more than 50%.
According to Deco Proteste, 50 euros only allows you to purchase three kilos of the product. For Camarneiro, cod is becoming the “blank steak” of fish – a premium product inaccessible to most families.
Recently, in a meeting with the Secretary of State for Fisheries and the Sea, Salvador Malheirothe CPPME called for the creation of an exception regime for the import of cod. “If many countries have exception regimes in relation to oil and gas, in the case of cod there is none”, argues the confederation.
With the approaching Christmasa period traditionally of greater consumption, the situation promises to worsen, and the Portuguese may be forced to make more humble choices: opting for thinner slices — or by the flapspredicts Camarneiro.
