More than just fishing boats

The Evening News believes that consideration should be given to completely stopping Russian fishing boats from entering Norwegian ports.

manager

This is a leader. The manager expresses the opinions and analysis of Stavanger Aftenblad.

As early as August 1, new restrictions on the entry of Russian fishing boats into three northern ports came into force. It is necessary. A period should also be considered.

Recently, Ukrainian military sources said the Russian airport, just 20 miles from the Norwegian border, was attacked by drones. Olenya Airport on the Kola Peninsula has a long runway suitable for Russia’s large heavy bombers TU-22M3. These aircraft have been used to bomb Ukraine.

There is currently no known link between the airport and the limited access of Russian fishing boats to several Norwegian fishing ports. But the attack adds to the brutal conflict near Norway. It is a stark reminder that we share a border with Russia, a neighbor with whom we have very bad relations due to Russia’s brutal attacks on Ukraine.

New restrictions It has now come into force and mainly applies to stay times in some ports that Russian fishing vessels can still enter. This applies to the ports of Tromsø, Kirkenes and Basfjord.

From now on, Russian fishing vessels will only be allowed to enter one of these three ports for a maximum of five working days. When permission is granted for such a visit, at least three days must have passed since the last stay in a port on the Norwegian mainland.

There are various That’s why Russian fishing boats have the opportunity to use Norwegian ports, refuel in them and deliver their catch. In 2022, 882 calls were received here, while in 2023 the number was 675. In other words, the number has dropped significantly. Mainly due to sanctions, but also due to the poor state of the fishing industry.

despite this Various forms of activity have been discovered in connection with the ships’ visits to Norwegian ports. These ships are also believed to be used for various forms of espionage. Open-source maps drawn up by NRK more than a year ago together with colleagues from Sweden, Denmark and Finland show that these Russian ships are often seen near Norwegian gas and oil infrastructure, and their movement patterns change when US submarines are nearby. Mysterious damage to cables is also often associated with this movement pattern of Russian ships. This business is known as “shadow warfare” and is closely monitored by the Norwegian authorities.

Opposition Parliament has repeatedly advocated a complete ban on Russian fishing vessels from Norwegian ports. Recent developments have not made the issue any less important.