– There are plenty of other places in the Barents Sea you can be, says Odd Kristian Dahle in Fiskebåt, which is connected to the Norwegian sea fishing fleet. – They should shoot where there are far fewer boats and less conflict than what we see here, he adds. Recently, a Russian warship fired warning shots at a Norwegian fishing boat. The Norwegian fishermen were north of Vardø in the Norwegian economic zone when they were chased by Russians. Odd Kristian Dahle is information manager at the fishing boat association. Photo: Remi Sagen – Bøllestat Dahle in the association for sea fishing believes that there have been more military exercises in the area in recent years – This is provocative, and it should be unnecessary to place shooting exercises in the middle of the best fishing grounds when there is a lot of activity, he says. He is supported by editor Thomas Nilsen in the newspaper The Barents Observer. – I have to praise the fishermen who stand up for their right to actually fish. Thomas Nilsen, editor of The International Barents Observer. Photo: Kristina Kalinina / news The editor believes that the Russian Northern Fleet could have practiced further east, as they did during the Cold War. – But Russia is a bully state, and they are settling further and further west in the Norwegian economic zone, says Nilsen. 400 warships Russia brought China with it to the exercise which President Vladimir Putin called the largest of its kind in 30 years. According to Russian authorities, over 400 warships and 120 aircraft and helicopters were involved. Norwegian researchers believe that there are not that many ships in the Russian navy. The destroyer “Admiral Levchenko” chasing the fishermen from Aukra had many other warships behind it. Photo: Privat/Øystein Orten / Privat/Øystein Orten Odd Kristian Dahle in Fiskebåt believes that such exercises should be better announced. – Such rehearsals are often announced with two to three days’ notice. It is a very short time for fishing boats that are in a fishing field where there is good fishing. The Norwegian Coastal Administration says that they notify as soon as they receive word of the exercise from the Russians. – The messages we receive from Russia, we send mostly unabridged on our channels. So we don’t sit on the messages any longer than necessary, says Ståle Sveinungsen, head of the Norwegian Coastal Administration’s maritime traffic center in Vardø. May happen more often And Norwegian fishermen may come across Russian military vessels more often. The Russian Northern Fleet is constantly moving, research shows. This could mean several exercises in the Barents Sea. Arild Moe, senior researcher at Fridtjof Nansen’s institute. Photo: Private Arild Moe, senior researcher at the Fridtjof Nansen Institute, believes that the episode on 12 September shows the tense situation between East and West. – Let’s put it this way, no more care is shown than is strictly necessary. They do not ask the fisheries authorities for permission, but they may be interested in avoiding friction. Will stand his ground Owner and coxswain Øystein Orten, who was recently chased by a Russian warship, believes that the Norwegian authorities must say more clearly to the Russians that they must not sabotage commercial activities when they have exercises in international waters. – We’re not really that interested in ruining our whole day because they’re going to fool around and play war. Øystein Orten (left) and twin brother Torstein own MS Ragnhild Kristine. Photo: Private He says they fish on this fishing ground mostly all autumn. – It has not been a problem for them to place the shooting practice 20-30 miles further north in the autumn. So it’s a silent protest. We will act in exactly the same way if this happens again, he says. Published 29/09/2024, at 11.38
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Military training on the fishing grounds: – Russia is a thug state
