– When we, as surveyors, constantly experience people digging and taking pictures of things, then it is a signal that something is happening. This is according to Storting representative Dagfinn Olsen (Frp). He is stateless by profession, and says Norway has been naive to have given 265 Russians a certificate to sail the Norwegian coast without interference from the state. Also called a license certificate. – Russian sailors tell us when they are on the danger test that they have received a message from the Russian authorities to make themselves known on the Norwegian coast, claims Olsen. Wants extra requirements From 2014, Norway moved away from the requirement that large ships over 70 meters had to have a pilot on board, and that they could instead take this pilotage certificate. – There should be additional requirements for who can travel on the coast here without a person from the Norwegian governing authorities on board, says Olsen. Los and parliamentary representative Dagfinn Olsen believes that Norway has too liberal a driving license system. Photo: Ola Helness / news Losar is not only tasked with unloading ships safely to port, but also keeping an eye on what is happening on board. If they notice anything unusual, they can report it to the right authorities, according to Olsen. – I feared that the Russians can map what they want along our coast without us acting on it. news is not aware of specific incidents where Russian seafarers with a license have done something illegal. – We become vulnerable In 2015, civilian Russian sea captains said that they were urged by the Russian authorities to obtain a certificate of danger and familiarize themselves with the Norwegian coast. At the time, just over 100 Russians had a license, according to figures from the Coastal Agency. Five years later, the number doubled to 243. Researcher Ståle Ulriksen at the Norwegian Naval Academy is sure that Russia is taking advantage of the fact that they do not need to have Norwegian state pilots on board. – It makes us open and vulnerable. We have little control over who moves up and down the coast, and what they actually do, says Ulriksen. Ståle Ulriksen at the Naval Academy in Bergen thinks people have reason to be concerned. Photo: Erlend Koppergård In the past year, news together with the Nordic public broadcasters have used open traffic data to map how Russian shipping traffic can be used for espionage in the Nordics. The mapping shows that at least 50 ships have had the opportunity to collect information secretly for at least ten years. The track shows, among other things, that the ship suddenly appears when there has been a NATO exercise. They seek an emergency port in an area where Norway and allied countries train with their submarines. They were also nearby when important fiber cables were cut outside Vesterålen or damaged outside Svalbard last year. Ulriksen believes people have a reason to be concerned. – If you see something unusual, you must report it, he says. – The world looks different Ulriksen and Olsen think there should be measures. Whether it is the introduction of mandatory pilotage on Russian ships or preventing ships from sailing in certain areas. – During the Cold War, we had some areas where foreign vessels were not allowed to sail. One can perhaps think like this today, especially around important oil and gas installations, says Ulriksen From the government’s side, they will now look at this and come up with changes. – We must neither be naive nor paranoid. The disposal obligation was removed in 2014, and now the world looks different. Then it is natural to look at these things again, and we are doing that, says State Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Eivind Vad Petersson (Ap). He will not give examples of what specific changes they will bring. – The technology has changed. The threat image has changed. So we do not rule out any measures to protect ourselves better, but we must ensure that we meet the threats we now face. The full answer from State Secretary Eivind Vad Petersson (Ap) State Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Eivind Vad Petersson (Ap) says they should look at the driving license scheme and the requirement for a pilot. – What do you put in it? – The security situation looks completely different and then it is necessary to look at this system again. – The world has looked different for a very long time, why hasn’t the government done anything before? – We have done a lot to better protect ourselves against this type of unwanted intelligence activity. At the latest last week, we asked 15 Russian intelligence agents disguised as diplomats to leave Norway. We do many things to protect ourselves better. Now is also the time to look at this scheme again, says Petersson. – What do you think about the fact that Russian boats along the Norwegian coast may have become familiar with our coast over many years? – We must neither be naive nor paranoid. There is very important information that comes out in that documentary, but for people along the coast who have worked with these things, especially in northern Norway, it is no surprise. We have shown this for a long time and followed closely. We have also done a lot to protect ourselves against this. – The technology has changed. The threat image has changed. So we do not rule out any measures to protect ourselves better, but we must ensure that we meet the threats we now face. – Liberal driving license system Storting representative Olsen says there is no one that has such a liberal driving license system as we do in Norway, and cites Russia as an example. – There is no Norwegian vessel that comes into Murmansk without a person from the Russian authorities on board. This is how it must be in Norway too, says Olsen. Chairman of the Norwegian Los Association, Johannes Sivertsen, says that Norway has the most liberal driving license system in Europe. Countries such as Italy, France, England, Spain, and others that we compare ourselves to, have strict rules for obtaining a driving license, according to Sivertsen. – We are of the opinion that Russian driving licenses should be suspended, says Sivertsen. He is also one of those who think it is naive to believe that Russian sailors do not collect information on behalf of Russia. Chairman of the Norwegian Lottery Association Johannes Sivertsen. Photo: Norwegian Fishing Association In March last year, the Norwegian Fishing Association sent a letter to the Ministry of Fisheries and Industry, the Ministry of Justice and Emergency Preparedness, and the Ministry of Defense in which they expressed concern about Russian traffic on the Norwegian coast. – We know that the Russians register our coast, and the pilots notify about this in the right channels, but nothing is done, says Sivertsen. The journalists are given a list of suspected Russian spies. Why is there a military radio on a Russian trawler? What happened to the Svalbard cable?
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Russian ships do not need to be piloted on board – reason to be concerned, according to researchers – news Nordland
