– I am shocked that Russian trawlers are welcome to dock in Sortland Harbour. Toine C. Sannes says so. She is elected for the Green Party in Sortland, and deputy leader for Nordland MDG. The reason is that the Coast Guard’s main base is in Sortland. Sortland Harbor is right next to it. In other words, a Russian trawler can dock right next to the Coast Guard’s ship without any problem. Sannes has asked the harbor board to make an assessment of the possibility of local measures. – Naive and dangerous After the gas explosion in the Baltic Sea, several people in the Storting have asked questions about the risks surrounding Russian trawlers. – I think it is serious, and completely incomprehensible, says Sannes. Toine C. Sannes in the Green Party in Sortland is also a board member of the harbor board. Photo: Svea P. Sannes Recently, two important submarine cables in Vesterålen have been cut. In both of these incidents, Russian fishing vessels have appeared. – You don’t need to be a trawler skipper to understand that they have not been trawling for fish, based on the movement pattern. The Coast Guard is now in place in the North Sea to monitor the sea around oil installations. Armed soldiers from the Home Guard stand guard at a number of land facilities across Norway after the security level has been raised. – We can therefore end up in the absurd situation that when they are going back to their port, they have to dock next to Russian trawlers, says Sannes. She thinks it is naive of the Norwegian authorities to allow this to happen. The port manager: – Can’t deny Port manager Rune W. Monrad at Sortland Havn understands that Sannes is asking the question based on the current geopolitical situation. He confirms that the Port of Sortland has calls from Russian trawlers. But Monrad says that there are few cases in a year. On 4 May this year, the coast guard took a picture of the Russian trawler Martha Arendzee when it was docked at Sortland Harbour. Photo: Sortland harbor KF Vessels that come in to unload frozen fish must report in good time that they will need berth space when unloading. – We would have reacted to any deviation from such routines, and therefore acted in line with our own instructions, says the port manager. Monrad says that Port of Sortland does not have the legal right to introduce a ban, as this would be an exercise of foreign policy. Therefore, the harbor cannot deny Russian fishing vessels a call. – The criticism is in its place Ina Holst-Pedersen Kvam is a researcher at the Norwegian Defense Academy, Naval Academy. She has no doubt that the Coast Guard is a central intelligence target for Russia. – The criticism is in its place. Not least in the tense security political situation we are in, where the Coast Guard contributes to patrolling the waters around the installations. Ina Holst-Pedersen Kvam, a researcher at the Norwegian Naval Academy, believes that the Kremlin’s use of civilian vessels for sharp military missions is a well-known problem, but a wild political decision to let it be guarded against. Photo: Norwegian Defense University The researcher says that continuous monitoring of the activity in and around the base at Sortland can provide a lot of relevant information about the Norwegian operational pattern in this crisis. For example, it could be what routines and procedures the Coast Guard has, and what ability they have to maintain and adjust their presence in the North Sea over time. – For an actor who potentially plans to exploit an opportunity space and any vulnerabilities for offensive gain, it is useful knowledge to sit on. The researcher from the Naval Academy says it is relatively normal for the Norwegian Navy that a trawler with a Russian flag lies in the wake and gathers information about the navy’s daily activities on behalf of the Northern Fleet and the Kremlin. Photo: Trygve Grønning / news – By omitting the fishing vessels from the sanctions package, one underestimates the threat and the damage potential quite strongly. Kvam points out that the Russian fishing vessels have had sharp military missions for several decades. They also have greater room to maneuver in other countries’ waters than gray warships. In addition, the researcher believes that one must assume that the trawlers’ role and function are now more central than before. The Russian navy is tied up by the war in Ukraine, and the civilian fleet constitutes an enormous compensating resource. Vessels that have only carried out innocent fishing in Norwegian waters until now will probably be under considerable pressure from Russian security services in the future. – With the probable Nord Stream sabotages, the Kremlin has demonstrated how far they are willing to go in order not to lose this war, says Ina Holst-Pedersen Kvam at the Naval Academy. Photo: The Danish Defense Forces – By allowing fishing vessels to operate freely along the Norwegian coast, there is a great danger that they will have established a normal state that can be exploited offensively if necessary, says Kvam. – The eventual day the trawlers are not actually supposed to “unload fish”, but against what one would expect to mine the fairways around Sortland or sabotage other places, it is likely that no one will raise so much as an eyebrow before the damage has already been done. Ministry of Foreign Affairs: – Will make changes if necessary Previously, it was the Ministry of Trade and Fisheries that had to answer why fishing vessels were left out of the sanctions. As the situation is more tense, it is now the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) that must answer for this. State Secretary Eivind Vad Petersson wrote in an e-mail to news that the government has chosen to allow calls for Russian fishing vessels because of the sustainable fisheries management and stability in the north. The intelligence and security services continuously monitor the activity of Russian vessels along the Norwegian coast in order to uncover and prevent security-threatening activity, says State Secretary Eivind Vad Petersson in the Foreign Ministry. Photo: Sturlason The core of the cooperation between Norway and Russia is the Norwegian-Russian Fisheries Commission, which was established in 1974. The commission has the authority to set quotas for the shared stocks in the Barents Sea. In addition, the research collaboration goes back to the 19th century. Nevertheless, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is monitoring the situation closely to avoid Norway becoming a free port for other types of activity. The core of the cooperation between Norway and Russia is the Norwegian-Russian Fisheries Commission, which was established in 1974. Photo: Christian Kråkenes / news – We are fully aware of the risk from foreign intelligence and influence, and that activity that is basically legal can be exploited for purposes that may harm our national security, says Petersson in the Foreign Ministry. – We understand that Norwegians are worried. The government will make changes or clarifications in the regulations if it is deemed necessary. Do you think it is scary that Russian trawlers can lie side by side with coast guard ships? Yes, I think it’s scary No, I think the coast guard and the defense have control over this I have no opinion on the matter Show result – Renting the fox into the hen house Sannes from MDG in Sortland believes that one cannot argue with management of the cod stock when Norway’s security is at stake. – If you use these arguments as a basis, you will see that the people we are dealing with are a rational counterpart. I would say that it is completely unpredictable what the Russians will do. She believes that we must first of all make sure not to be naive. Sannes believes that Russia can jump out of the fisheries cooperation itself, regardless of what we choose to do. – I think that this primarily put Norway’s security at risk. – Accompanying the Coast Guard is under the responsibility of the Norwegian Armed Forces. Spokesperson for the Norwegian Armed Forces, lieutenant colonel Stine Barclay Gaasland, says that the Norwegian Armed Forces take the current situation very seriously. Nevertheless, it is not abnormal activity that Russian fishing vessels operate in Norway. – The intelligence and security services continuously monitor this activity of Russian vessels along the Norwegian coast in order to uncover and prevent security-threatening activity, says Gaasland. The police have so far asked the Armed Forces for support through established routines for assistance, and together with the police they monitor the situation continuously. The armed forces have implemented several preparedness measures within increased visibility and presence. For example, through the Coast Guard, P-3 Orion maritime surveillance aircraft, and using F-35 combat aircraft. Photo: 332-skvadrone / Forsvaret – We are also continuing with our fixed mission portfolio and our presence, and have very good cooperation with relevant actors in connection with the situation.
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The Green Party asks that Russian trawlers be closed out of Norwegian ports – news Nordland
