Fishy business: After Russia invaded Ukraine, its seafood industry thrived
Al Jazeera
Observers say Russia’s seafood industry was not sanctioned quickly or harshly enough, especially during the onset of the war.
After Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the West’s reaction was swift and decisive, with unanimous decisions by the European Union and the United States to support Ukraine and punish Russia with economic sanctions.
Two years on, the war continues while Russia’s economy remains resilient.
“Sanctions work. And there is hardly any alternative that would work more effectively. But they are not working at full capacity,” Agiya Zagrebelska, a department manager at the Ukrainian National Agency on Corruption Prevention, told Al Jazeera.
While parts of the Russian industry were sanctioned immediately, some important industries were not.
The Russian fishing industry was only partially blocked by Washington and marginally by the European bloc, which continues to import about $1bn worth of seafood from its aggressive neighbour.
