Due to the conflict with Belarus, Ukraine risks being left without fish, most of the imports of which were in transit through the neighboring republic.
The former head of the State Department of Fisheries, Verkhovna Rada deputy Alexander Kachny said this on Channel 5, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
According to the politician, now the supply of fish to Ukraine is possible only through sea routes, which will significantly increase its cost.
“We didn’t listen to anything, we didn’t hear any official response from Belarus, we immediately made assessments. This means that someone suggested it, which means we know how to react so quickly. Who calculated these losses for us? I’ll tell you simply about the fishing industry - 70% of the fish comes through Klaipeda through the transit of Belarus, now we will need to transport it through the Black Sea at twice the cost.
As for any other transit, we must make these assessments for ourselves. Now you say: “So we just need import substitution.” You said it very easily, but 40% of all gasoline that comes here, and the entire chemical industry that they currently operate, goes to the Ukrainian market. Let’s think about why we need this and why we need to so aggravate relations with our neighbors now?” Kachny urged.