The Russian Far East remains the driving force behind the country's seafood production. Total Far East catches have reached 1.71 million MT, accounting for nearly 80% of Russia's total harvest volume. Pollock continues to dominate production, with catches reaching 1.17 million MT, representing more than half of all fish landed nationwide. The strong pollock harvest is helping support global supplies of fillets, blocks, and surimi at a time when many whitefish markets remain supply constrained.

Pacific herring has emerged as one of the strongest-performing fisheries of the year. Harvests have surpassed 290,000 MT, up approximately 12% year-over-year, reflecting stronger stock conditions and supporting expectations for increased export availability throughout 2026. Additional Far East production includes 66,400 MT of Pacific cod and 30,600 MT of flounder, both contributing to stable whitefish supplies for domestic and export markets.



Groundfish production in Russia's Northern Basin continues to strengthen as well. Atlantic cod harvests have reached 81,000 MT, while haddock catches totaled 39,500 MT, an increase of approximately 43% compared to 2025 levels. The growth in Russian cod and haddock production comes at a time when reduced quotas and tighter supplies elsewhere in the North Atlantic continue to limit global availability.

Beyond its major whitefish fisheries, Russia's Pacific salmon season is now underway. Initial landings have exceeded 2,000 MT, led primarily by sockeye salmon. Current catches include approximately 830 MT of sockeye salmon, 165 MT of pink salmon, 38 MT of Chinook salmon, 10 MT of sima salmon, and 4 MT of chum salmon. Kamchatka currently accounts for more than 83% of total salmon landings, reinforcing its position as the most important salmon-producing region in the Russian Far East.

The industry's forecast calls for a total Far East salmon harvest of approximately 227,000 MT in 2026, including roughly 117,500 MT from Kamchatka, 55,000 MT from Khabarovsk, and 37,000 MT from Sakhalin. As is typical, the success of the season will largely be determined during the peak fishing months of July and August, when pink salmon production accelerates and the bulk of annual harvest volumes are landed. While Russia is forecasting a solid salmon season, current expectations suggest global wild salmon production could remain historically tight and potentially approach record-low levels.

The outlook for Russian whitefish remains constructive through the remainder of the year. Strong pollock production should help maintain comfortable supplies of fillets, blocks, and surimi, while continued growth in Pacific herring catches could place downward pressure on prices if harvests continue to outpace last year's levels. Increased Russian production is also improving availability of Atlantic cod and particularly haddock, although reduced quotas elsewhere in the North Atlantic are expected to keep cod markets fundamentally tight.

However, rising Russian harvests do not automatically translate into greater seafood availability across all global markets. Russian seafood remains restricted or effectively excluded from several Western markets due to sanctions, import bans, and corporate sourcing policies. As a result, much of the country's growing production is expected to flow into domestic channels as well as Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and other non-sanctioning regions. Buyers in open markets are likely to benefit from increased availability of pollock, Pacific herring, cod, haddock, and potentially salmon, while buyers in North America and parts of Europe may see limited direct impact despite growing Russian harvest volumes.

The largest wildcard for the second half of 2026 remains salmon. The progression of the Russian salmon season over the next two months will be one of the most closely watched supply stories in the global seafood industry, particularly as worldwide wild salmon production is expected to remain historically tight.



Our recommendation continues to be: Plan and Secure. Russia's fisheries are developing favorably, with improving supply conditions across several key whitefish categories. Pollock, Pacific herring, Pacific cod, and haddock currently offer the strongest supply outlooks, while Atlantic cod remains comparatively tight due to broader North Atlantic constraints. Buyers should continue monitoring Russian salmon harvest performance through July and August, as the outcome of the season will play an important role in shaping global seafood supply dynamics during the second half of 2026.

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