“While Portuguese and European industries strictly comply with the sanctions imposed against Russia due to the invasion of Ukraine, some Norwegian companies continue to buy Russian cod, making high profits, inflating prices in Europe and, ultimately, financing the Russian economy which is currently a war economy – possibly even paying prices higher than those that would result from fair competition within the European market,” says AIB, in a statement sent to newsrooms.

One of the consequences of this practice by some Norwegian industrialists is market distortion and artificial price inflation. “Companies that buy Russian cod benefit from more competitive prices and a more stable supply,” while “industries that comply with sanctions face shortages of raw materials and a significant increase in costs, generating artificial inflation in final consumer prices,” explains the same statement.

The AIB also accuses Norwegian industrialists of unfair competition, and Portuguese companies are traditionally major clients of Norway, in addition to talking about “breach of trust and shaken partnerships”.

Given this situation, the association decided not to participate in the seminar The Future of Cod, promoted by the Norwegian Seafood Council (NSC), scheduled for 5 February in Lisbon. As well as calling on the Norwegian government to take measures to correct this market distortion. The European authorities are now being asked to step up monitoring and implement stricter regulations on cod processed in Norway, preventing it from becoming a channel for circumventing sanctions imposed on Russia.

“This was not a decision taken lightly and it is a clear protest against the lack of ethics and unfair competition practiced by some Norwegian industrialists, who are distorting the European market and compromising the balance of the sector, also impacting consumers with artificial price inflation”, explains Luísa Melo, president of the AIB board of directors.

The official also highlights “a deep respect for the historical relationship between Portugal and Norway and, precisely because of this relationship of respect, we cannot fail to alert the Norwegian Government, European decision-makers and cod industries in Norway, requesting urgent measures and warning that these practices are, completely, on the wrong side of History.”

“We want to believe that the absence of specific sanctions on Russian fish and the exemption from customs duties and taxes were an oversight by the Norwegian government – ​​which can and should be corrected as soon as possible. For all these reasons and until this situation is reviewed and corrected, we consider it institutionally impossible to participate in NSC events and initiatives, which, despite their potential, place us on opposite sides, with divergent interests”, concludes Luísa Melo.