The case in summary: The government has introduced restrictions on how long Russian fishing vessels can be docked in Tromsø, Båtsfjord and Kirkenes. The restrictions mean that the vessels can dock for a maximum of five working days, with up to seven days. The tightening comes without signals about strengthening the affected police districts, which must solve this within the current budget and manning list, news is told. Russian authorities believe statements that the vessels can be used for espionage, intelligence and sabotage are unfounded. The government continuously assesses the need to introduce further measures, and the police’s control activity is to be strengthened. The police districts have not received signals about new tools to use in their work, despite increased control activity and no promises for increased funds. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAi. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. The government’s restrictions on how long Russian fishing vessels can dock in Tromsø, Båtsfjord and Kirkenes are causing strong reactions. The reactions come after the government announced on Friday its restrictions on the three Norwegian ports that are still open to Russian vessels to visit. The Russian embassy in Oslo itself claims that during the checks carried out by the Norwegian authorities, no equipment has been found that is not linked to shipping or fishing activity. – This step by the Norwegian side is a further limitation of the Russian vessels’ use of the port. Of course, this does not bring any optimism when it comes to our bilateral relationship, the embassy writes to news, before continuing: – The long-standing Russian-Norwegian fisheries cooperation, to mutual benefit, is an important part of the bilateral relationship. In many ways, thanks to this, a large number of both Norwegian and Russian fishing vessels conduct successful and sustainable fishing in the Barents Sea. – Groundless – The vessels can be used for espionage, intelligence and sabotage, including of critical Norwegian infrastructure, and that is not an acceptable risk. There is also a risk that they are used to circumvent the sanctions against Russia. This was stated by the Conservative Party’s leader in the foreign affairs and defense committee at the Storting, Ine Eriksen Søreide, when the austerity became known. RISK: There is a risk that Russian fishing vessels are allowed to dock in Norway, believes Ine Eriksen Søreide (H). Photo: ISMAIL BURAK AKKAN / news Baseless statements, the Russian embassy in Oslo believes. – Statements from politicians and so-called experts that Russian fishing vessels can pose a threat to the Norwegian state are groundless, writes the embassy in a statement to news. REACTING: The Russian Embassy in Oslo. Photo: Cicilie S. Andersen / news Not closing completely While Søreide expects the government to make ongoing assessments for further measures, such as closing the ports completely to Russian fishing vessels, Venstre’s Ola Elvestuen believes that the only right thing is to close the ports completely. The reason why the ports have not closed is about Norwegian interests, says Fisheries and Oceans Minister Marianne Sivertsen Næss (Ap). – It is in our interest to ensure sustainable management of the fish stocks in the north. A complete closure of the ports will make it more difficult for Russian fishing vessels to fish in the Norwegian economic zone, and it will be negative for fish stocks, fisheries management and fisheries control, she says. She believes that such a tightening gives the police far better conditions for exercising control and having an overview of what is going on. – The government continuously assesses the need to introduce further measures, she says further. NOT CLOSED: The government has not yet chosen to close the Norwegian ports completely to Russian fishing vessels. The need for this is assessed continuously, says Marianne Sivertsen Næss (Ap). Photo: William Jobling / news Strengthening control activities Before tightening was adopted by the government, Russian fishing vessels had no restrictions at the three open ports in Båtsfjord, Tromsø and Kirkenes. – The berthing time for the Russian ships is different between Tromsø and Båtsfjord. In Båtsfjord, they are further away and have an increased frequency, says PST leader in Finnmark, Johan Roaldsnes. He says that PST’s increased cooperation with the Customs Agency will be about uncovering violations of sanctioned goods. At the same time, the government has decided that the police’s control activities will be strengthened. This applies particularly in Båtsfjord, something the police district has already looked at possible measures to do. – Båtsfjord has roughly the same supply of Russian fishing vessels as Kirkenes has. And naturally enough, since Kirkenes is the headquarters of the Finnmark police district, we have a relatively good range of resources to use in control operations in Kirkenes. We may have a slightly low level of control in Båtsfjord so far, says Sølve Solheim, head of operational immigration and border surveillance in the Finnmark police district. At the end of May, the Netherlands decided to ban all Russian ships from the central port of Eemshaven. This was due to fear of espionage. In a fjord on Svalbard, however, Russian ships have received Norwegian help. The help came after the restrictions from the Netherlands. Section leader for operational immigration and border surveillance in Finnmark police district, Sølve Solheim – Photo: Knut-Sverre Horn / news No new tools Despite the fact that the government’s decision involves increased control activity, the police districts do not receive increased funds as a result. – Basically, the preliminary message we have received is that we will resolve this within the current budget and crew list, or the resource access we have as of today. We will try to comply with that as best we can, says Solheim. Director of emergency preparedness in the Norwegian Police Directorate, Tone Vangen, confirms this. She says that the police have now been asked to solve the task by reprioritizing their own resources within the current framework. – The Directorate of Police will follow up the resource issues in dialogue with the ministry in our governance dialogue, she says. Nor have the police districts received any promises about new tools to solve the task, which now means that the police’s controls must be strengthened. – The way I read the assignment, we haven’t concretely received any new tools. But I know that work is being done on several levels to look at alternatives, or other possible measures that may be implemented in the future, says Solheim. When asked if the police will receive new tools, Vangen replies that the police do not comment on specific tools that are used to solve the various tasks. Published 10.07.2024, at 09.56
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Russian authorities are reacting to the government’s tightening of restrictions on Russian fishing vessels – news Troms and Finnmark
