Russian Fishing Vessels Now Only Allowed Access to Three Northern Norwegian Ports – And Will Be Controlled at Each Docking

The important fishery cooperation

Russian fishing vessels have thus been and still are partially exempt from the existing Norwegian port ban vis-à-vis the Russian side, the basis for which is that sanctions against Russian fishing boats could undermine the essential Norwegian-Russian fishery cooperation. 

Norway and Russia have cooperated for many decades on managing joint fish stocks in the Barents Sea, such as the world’s largest cod stock.

In two weeks, the Norwegian and Russian authorities are scheduled to determine quotas for 2023 on the basis of advice from marine scientists in both countries. They recommend, among other things, a significantly lower cod quota.

“Norway has cooperated with Russia on the fishery for almost 50 years, including throughout the Cold War. We have an important responsibility to ensure proper management of the fish stocks that we share with Russia,” says the Minister of Trade, Industry and Fisheries Bjørnar Skjæran (Labor) and continues: 

“We are reliant on functioning fishery cooperation with Russia to make this happen. The exception for Russian fishing vessels therefore remains but is hereby narrowed.”

According to the Norwegian government, the changes will be implemented shortly.