“Record High Seafood Imports to Japan from Russia in 2022”

Poor catches in Japan and larger catches in Russia caused imports to hit their highest level since 1992 last year.

The previous record was set in 2018, when Japan imported $1.1 billion worth of seafood from Russia. Experts estimate that Japan imports about 40 percent of the seafood consumed in the country, with the Russian Federation ranking third after Chile and the United States in terms of import value in 2022.

In commodity terms, snow crab accounted for the largest share of imports from Russia last year. Japan’s need for new sources of imports as the United States suspended its fishery for snow crab in the Bering Sea has also contributed to the increase in imports, the sources said.

Imports of pollock paste, as well as raw materials for kamaboko fish cakes, increased by about seven times compared to the previous year. Poor fishing conditions in Japan have also led to increased imports of sea urchins, salmon and trout.