Britain's 'Fish and Chips' Are Under Threat From Russia's Putin - Here's Why

A 70-year-old agreement that allowed UK boats to fish in the Barents Sea has been torn up by Russia. Additionally, British citizens have been instructed by Russia to 'smarten up and lose weight.'

The development follows the imposition of sanctions by the UK on six individuals responsible for overseeing the Arctic penal colony where Vladimir Putin critic Alexei Navalny passed away. The impact of these events on Britain is being questioned, prompting a deeper understanding of the significance and adoration of fish and chips.

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The history of fish and chips: a timeline

The origins of fish and chips are not entirely clear, with fried fish being first introduced and sold by East End Jews, while chips initially gained popularity in Lancashire and Yorkshire. However, the first person to bring the magical combination together may never be known, according to Royal Museums Greenwich.

Fried fish

Fried fish was originally prepared by Western Sephardic Jews settling in England in the 17th century, coating the fish in flour and dipping it into a batter made of flour mixed with liquid, typically water or beer. Some modern variations of the recipe may include cornflour and substitute soda water for beer.

Chips

The potato was introduced to the British Isles in the sixteenth century, and although there is ongoing debate between France and Belgium regarding the invention of 'fries,' fried potato chips have been enjoyed in England for a long time. The earliest known recipe resembling today's potato chips can be found in William Kitchiner's cookbook The Cook's Oracle, first published in 1817.

A timeline

In 1860, the first fish and chip shop is believed to have been opened in London by Joseph Malin, who sold "fish fried in the Jewish fashion."

Alternatively, entrepreneur John Lees is thought to have sold fish and chips out of a wooden hut at Mossley market in industrial Lancashire, near Oldham, in 1863.

Between 1875 and 1877, David Allan in Leith designed and built the earliest purpose-built fishing vessels, including the first screw-propelled steam trawler in the world.

Alfred Hitchcock, born in 1899, spent his childhood above a fish and chip shop in London, his family's business.

In his 1937 work "The Road to Wigan Pier," George Orwell described fish and chips as a key home comfort that kept the masses content and "averted revolution."

During World War II, from 1939 to 1945, ministers ensured that fish and chips remained among the few foods that were never rationed.

In the 1980s, portions were often wrapped in old newspaper to keep costs down, a practice that persisted until it was deemed unsafe due to ink exposure without grease-proof paper.

Today, fish and chips face competition from burgers, fried chicken, pizza, and Indian and Chinese cuisine, yet the dish remains highly popular, particularly at seaside locations, as per the Royal Museums Greenwich.

So What happened Recently between the UK and Russia?

According to MSN.com, a 1956 agreement allowing British boats to fish in the Barents Sea had been signed by Russia and the UK. It is this agreement, signed by Nikita Khrushchev in London, that has been pulled out of by Russia. According to The Independent, the deal had allowed British access to the Barents Sea, the coast of the Kola Peninsula, and along the coast of Kolguyev Island.

The British were told by Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin, as quoted by MSN.com, to "study some proverbs - 'Russians harness the horse slowly, but ride it fast'." He further stated that "the unscrupulous British" had been eating Russian fish for 68 years and now "let them lose weight, get smarter."

"They announced sanctions against us, but they themselves make 40 per cent of their diet, their fish menu, from our cod," Volodin said, as reported by EuroNewsWeekly.com. Volodin stated that this was a direct result of the UK's sanctions on Russian citizens.

Russian President Vladimir Putin's ally Vyacheslav Volodin told the British to 'smarten up and lose weight,' as reported by Reuters. "When people ask if we can respond to sanctions, the answer is: we can," Volodin was quoted as saying by The Independent. Russia has been facing sanctions from the West since the start of its war in Ukraine in 2022.

The UK and the US revoked Russia's "most favoured nation" (MFN) status over its invasion of Ukraine. Britain said the sanctions were designed to 'inflict maximum damage on the Russian economy while minimizing the impact on the UK.' "When Nikita Khrushchev accepted this deal in 1956, it is difficult to say what guided him but it was definitely not national interest," he said. "With Gorbachev, we lost our country, and with Putin we got it back." Putin has repeatedly claimed that the collapse of the Soviet Union is the greatest tragedy of the 20th Century.

How Does It Impact Britain?

According to The Independent, it was claimed by Volodin that 'thousands of tonnes' of cod and haddock had been caught by British boats in Russian waters. However, the UK government has insisted that this development would have "no material impact on our fish supplies".

In a statement, it was said by the government, "UK vessels do not fish in these Russian waters so this would have no material impact on our fish supplies, including cod or haddock. The UK has not received any official notification from the Russian Federation on this matter. Russia's continued unilateral withdrawal from a number of international cooperation treaties is symptomatic of its self-inflicted isolation on the world stage as a result of its illegal invasion of Ukraine."

Andrew Crook, president of the National Federation of Fish Friers, was quoted by Sky News as saying, "British vessels have not fished in Russian waters for decades so it's a bit of a moot point." Crook further stated, "Cod spawns in Norwegian waters and migrates to the Russian area to grow so that area is avoided to ensure there is the volume of fish needed in the fishing grounds in the future when they migrate back."

In a statement to The Sun, Crook mentioned, "This was just a bit of an attempt by the Russians to look as though they were responding to the sanctions imposed on them by the British government. The move is an act of vengeance for sanctions imposed by Western countries, including the UK, for the ongoing war in Ukraine."

This comes as a rise of living crisis in Britain threatens fish and chip shops - known as 'chippies.' Alessandro Varese, director of fish and chips company Blue Lagoon, expressed worry that the move could increase demand for local fish further - thus increasing the prices.

Varese told Sky News, "This is the most difficult period we have ever faced in our 49-year history as a family business." It was requested by Varese that the Scottish government help out the industry with a 75 per cent rebate. Tony Jaconelli, owner of award-winning Tony's of Stonehouse in South Lanarkshire, mentioned to Sky News that it's been a "tough few years".

"All the rising costs are crippling a lot of small businesses. It's a real shame - some of these chippies have been open for decades. The price of oil has come down a bit, but I feel it will never go back to what it was. I suppose life in general won't." In January, it was predicted by the National Federation of Fish Friers that as many as a third of the 10,500 such shops could shutter for good.

Terrilea Coglan, who works in the fish trade, mentioned to NBC News, "It's our way of life." "It's in my blood. It's part of me. And it's quite sad to think that it might not be here for much longer." Coglan said she used to sell fish for couple of pounds per bag. But that's no longer the case. Now, each fish is sold for a couple of pounds. "It's always been a cheap thing, fish, and now it's just really not," she said.