OPINION: It’s time to stop Russian interference in Alaska’s fishing industry

From its rich history to its vibrant ecosystem and deep cultural identity, Alaska has always fascinated me. As a native Icelander, the communities and natural resources of Alaska have wowed me since my first visit. It’s profound beauty greatly reminds me of my home country.

From my work and travels in Alaska for more than two decades, one aspect is clear — the seafood industry is critical. With nearly 10% of the state’s population working in seafood and the industry generating more than $5 billion per year — this industry is the lifeblood of Alaska.

However, the Alaska seafood industry faces many challenges, including the impact of global climate change. Some of these obstacles are nearly impossible to overcome but one of them is solvable: stopping the Russian misinformation machine and the illegal flow of Russian seafood, while protecting America’s food supply.

If Alaskans knew that a significant amount of their seafood came illegally from Russia and not from the shores of their home state, I am convinced they would be shocked, appalled and demand action. Even worse: in many cases, the Russians call their product “Alaskan.”

If the Russians tried to send wine from Crimea to France and called it “Bordeaux,” the French would pour it out at the border. So why is wild Alaska seafood any different? This problem boils down to two related areas: traceability and proper labeling.

Since the onset of the Ukraine war, Russia’s seafood industry has flourished largely because Russian seafood sneaks into American restaurants and supermarkets undetected, despite being outright banned.

The Russian pollock industry, for example, uses offshore companies to buy supplies and then offloads the product in other countries such as China and Norway to ultimately make its way to America in order to circumvent our regulations. These actions hurt true Alaska fisheries, and in turn threaten Alaska’s economy and high-quality jobs.

A solution: Ensure complete traceability and proper certification

The real Alaska pollock industry sets the industry standard for traceability and sustainability. Our catch is 100% monitored by government-mandated and trained observers, is 100% third-party certified, and is fully traceable from our vessels to the final customer.

We’re pretty much an open book when it comes to sharing key metrics and data with consumers and the government.

As a country, we have the power to make change to ensure the products we purchase and eat are sourced from Alaskans, not Russian scammers. I urge everyone to hold their supermarkets and restaurants accountable to ensure they use authentic Alaska products. Often, retailers are overly focused on price, overlooking important factors like sustainability, quality and, importantly, the geopolitical ramifications of their purchases. What they seem to miss is that in choosing Alaskan, not only will Alaska benefit, but so will businesses in the long term, due to consumer utility with a superior American product.

Together, we can protect Alaska and ensure Russian seafood never makes its way through our borders under Alaska’s name. Doing so supports the Alaska economy, protects local jobs in our communities, and allow us to focus on the bigger issues we all face, like climate change. The more we help Alaska’s fisheries, the more we’ll be doing to protect the quality in our food supply.

Einar Gustafsson is the chief executive officer of American Seafoods, a global leader in sustainable proteins. A longtime seafood and fresh foods leader with extensive experience developing and growing global organizations, Einar returned to his roots at American Seafoods in 2022 after previously working at American Pride Seafoods nearly two decades ago.

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