Tsunami destroys 120 tonnes of salmon at Russian processing plant.
A powerful tsunami triggered by a 8.8 magnitude earthquake off Russia’s eastern coast has washed 120 tonnes of salmon and one tonne of scallops into the ocean from the Alaid fish processing plant in Severo-Kurilsk, according to Russian media outlet RBC.
The facility was almost entirely flooded and has suspended operations. “Water tore apart the refrigeration chambers, and the products stored there—120 tonnes of salmon and one tonne of scallops—were carried into the ocean,” said Anton Kovalev, general director of the Alaid plant.
The earthquake struck off the coast of Kamchatka on July 30 at a depth of 32 kilometres. Initially recorded at magnitude 7.5 by the Russian Academy of Sciences Geophysical Service, the rating was later revised to 8.7.
Kovalev said the tsunami destroyed key parts of the facility, including the net-making workshop—whose foundation was undermined—as well as the carpentry and fuel storage buildings. All equipment, including vehicles and cranes, was submerged, with most now considered beyond repair. A wave height of 2.5 metres inundated the entire site, disabling all electrical systems.
The salmon workshop’s conveyor belts were completely destroyed, while those in the white fish workshop were partially damaged. Cleanup operations are now underway.
Alaid, which has operated on Sakhalin since 2014, is one of the main employers in Severo-Kurilsk. According to SPARK data, the company employed 236 people at the end of 2024.
