– Norway is detaining our fishing vessels, and it is illegal. We hope sanity will prevail and that they will repair them and let them sail. If not, it will be an illegal seizure of property. That’s what Ilya Shestakov says. He heads the state Russian fisheries agency and is in practice the country’s fisheries minister. The Russian trawler “Saami” in front of the hull hall of Kimek in Kirkenes. Photo: Knut-Sverre Horn / news He believes that Norway retains six fishing vessels in Norwegian shipyards. Shestakov wants them home to Russia to complete the repairs. This is written by the Russian information agency B-port. Shestakov has discussed the matter with the governor of Murmansk Oblast, the county that borders Norway. The six Russian fishing vessels are located here: Tromsø: The fishing vessel “Stakfell” is being repaired at Tromsø mechanics. Kirkenes: The fishing vessels “Saami” and “Glacier Enterprise” are being repaired at Kimek. Båtsfjord: The fishing vessels “Kapitan Geratchenko”, “Serjanin II” and “Zvezda Murmana” are being repaired at Barents Skipsservice. Anno 09.06.2023 Source: Marinetraffic.com The Kimek Shipyard in Kirkenes rests on the spot, after the sanctions against Russia have continued to repair Russian fishing vessels, but a month ago the government issued a reminder that they were not allowed to do so. The 84 employees at Kimek were in danger of losing their jobs, as they waited for a long time for the answer from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) on whether they could continue working on the Russian fishing vessels. Two Russian fishing vessels are now in for repairs. The shipyard has received permission from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to make them seaworthy. But the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said no to, among other things, sandblasting, painting and the installation of anodes. With that, Kimek does not get to complete the repairs on the fishing vessels, and it is as far as it goes. In order to meet the requirements of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), this must be in place. In a report made by Tveten Marin AS, they write that “sandblasting and painting are directly linked to the ship’s safety in the sea”. Photo: Gunnar Sætra / news – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs believes that we should launch the boat “Saami” in a condition we cannot vouch for. It will become a wreck in a short time, says Greger Mannsverk. He is a director at Kimek, and explains that if they do not get anodes installed, which ensure that the hull does not rust, things will go wrong. – I fear that this wreck will be left at Kimek’s quay, and sink there. Because the shipowner will never come and collect it in its current state. Protocol fisheries negotiations Norway-Russia 2018 is signed. Ilja Shestakov on behalf of Russia, Assistant Ministerial Councilor Arne Benjaminsen for Norway. Fisheries Minister Harald Tom Nesvik is behind Benjaminsen. Photo: Øyvind Berge Sæbjørnsen / news Awaiting comment news was in contact with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday. They did not have the opportunity to give an answer to the accusations from the Russian fisheries chief, Ilya Shestakov. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs states that they will comment on the matter at the beginning of next week. According to the Norwegian authorities, the goal of the extensive sanctions is to reduce Russia’s ability to finance the war in Ukraine, which violates international law. – We must maintain the pressure on the Russian government and its supporters. The sanctions hit Russia financially and prevent important inputs from reaching the Russian war industry. Norway stands with Europe and has given up on all the EU’s sanctions packages. We support and stand in solidarity with the Ukrainians’ fight for freedom, said Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt (Ap) in a press release when Norway introduced a new round of sanctions against the Russian regime at the beginning of April.
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Norway is accused of detaining Russian fishing vessels by Russia’s fisheries chief – news Troms and Finnmark
