Fishing organization tells members to avoid Russian waters

Fiskebåt, the organization, on Monday told its members that caused by the tense situation following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, it would be recommended to avoid fishing in the Russian economic zone until further notice.

“Our thoughts go first and foremost to those who live in Ukraine, but at the same time we must continuously consider what consequences this situation will have for the activity of our members,” says Audun Maråk, CEO in Fiskebåt.

Norway and Russia share the fish resources in the Barents Sea and agree on annual quotas for the different spices, like cod, herring, halibut and others. This means that Norwegian vessels can fish in Russia’s exclusive economic zone visa versa. Catch quotas in the Barents Sea have since 1977 been set by the Joint Norwegian–Russian Fisheries Commission.

“In our view, there is an increased risk that Norwegian vessels may encounter problems when fishing in the Russian zone,” says Audun Meråk.

It may be more difficult for the foreign ministry now to help than previously, he adds.

Right now, there are no Norwegian fishing vessels in the Russian zone, as most of the Barents Sea over the past few weeks has been closed due to massive military maneuvers and shootings by the powerful Northern Fleet.

Led by President Putin, the nuclear deterrence forces were exercising earlier in February. The warning zone included a large area in Norway’s exclusive economic zone from where the Russian navy for the first time ever launched a Tsirkon hypersonic cruise missile.

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On Saturday, Putin ordered his top military brasses to put the strategic nuclear weapons on alert. The navy leg of Russia’s nuclear triad is the ballistic missile submarines that sai out from the Kola Peninsula on combat patrol in the eastern Barents Sea and under the Arctic ice cap.