Six Russian fishing vessels detained at shipyards in Norway

Six Russian fishing vessels are being held at Norwegian shipyards, Ilya Shestakov, head of the Federal Agency for Fisheries, said at a meeting with Andrey Chibis, governor of the Murmansk region. According to the head of the Federal Agency for Fishery, it is necessary to “quickly organize ship repairs” in Murmansk, but for this it is necessary to repair the Murmansk fishing port.

“The restrictions that the Norwegians have introduced are illegal for the repair of our fishing vessels. They just now keep even six fishing vessels in their factories. We hope that reason will prevail, they will repair and still let go. Otherwise, it’s just a seizure of property, ”said the head of the Federal Agency for Fishery.

Norway introduced a ban on entry to ports for Russian ships in May 2022. Fishing boats were the exception. Since October 2022, Russian vessels have only been able to moor in Botsfjord, Tromsø and Kirkenes. In May 2023, Norway limited the ability to go ashore to the crews of Russian ships in the ports of Kirkenes and Botsfjord.

The head of the Federal Agency for Fishery said that ships could be repaired at the Murmansk fishing port, but for this it is necessary to take an inventory of the seized port and modernize it into a modern logistics hub. By mid-July, the Federal Agency for Fishery and the authorities of the Murmansk region should submit proposals to the presidential administration.

Murmansk Fishing Port, privatized in 2015, is again moved state in October 2022. As the Federal Antimonopoly Service established, in 2015 a group of individuals, together with a foreign investor, established control over the port. In November 2019, FSB officers conducted searches in the joint-stock company of the port.

Anastasia Larina