Disruption on the roads leading to the Polish border with Ukraine has been holding up exports of seafood in recent weeks, as queues of up to 50 kilometres have formed, with as many as 3000 trucks waiting to cross into Ukraine.
Icelandic exporter Ice Fresh Seafood has shipments in around 50 trucks on the way to Ukraine, totalling roughly 1000 tonnes of seafood products. Ice Fresh Seafood handles sales for Samherji, Síldarvinnslan and other Icelandic seafood producers.
The situation is very difficult, according to Ice Fresh Seafood’s sales manager Jóhannes Már Jóhannesson, and it’s not possible to predict how this will shape up.
‘The situation is complex in many respects, as well as being political as a new government is taking over in Poland. When something of this nature occurs, transport costs spiral and these costs have increased roughly five-fold since this situation began at the border,’ he said.
‘Ukraine is our largest market for pelagic products suchas herring, capelin and mackerel. The Russian invasion of Ukraine changed the whole landscape in terms of sales and delivery of products, as the Black Sea ports were closed and there was no option of sending a freighter there, as was possible previously.’
He commented that the effects are felt primarily by the people of Ukraine.
‘We sincerely hope thatthese tailbacks will disappear as soon as possible. We are in close contact with our customers in Ukraine, who are naturally deeply concerned at the situation. There’s a lot at stake here, as I reckon foodstuffs make up a large proportion of this fifty-kilometre tailback.’
