On January 20, Ilya Shestakov, head of Rosrybolovstvo (Russia’s State Agency for Fisheries), stated that the European Union is attempting to prevent collaboration between Russia and Norway in the fishing sector.
“The European Union does not appreciate the fact that Russia and Norway have maintained strong cooperation in managing fish stocks, which they handle effectively and consistently reach agreements,” Shestakov said in a statement. He noted that Norwegian fishermen play a critical role in their nation and understand that disrupting the 1975 agreement would yield no positive outcomes.
The move follows Norway’s imposition of sanctions on two Russian fishing vessels in November, which deprived half of Russia’s fleet of access to Norwegian fishing grounds. On January 19, Russia and Norway agreed to restore cooperation, granting Russian fishermen access to Norway’s economic zone for cod and haddock despite EU opposition. Shestakov emphasized that the Russian Federation successfully defended its interests under the agreement without succumbing to European pressure.
Sergei Altukhov, chairman of the State Duma Committee on Economic Policy, stated that any resumption of fishing cooperation with Russia after EU objections constitutes an exception rather than the rule, stressing that interactions with Western countries require specific conditions. Earlier this month, Norwegian Minister of Fisheries Marianne Sivertsen Ness warned that Norway would suffer significant economic losses if Russian fishermen were removed from the Oslo economic zone in the Barents Sea.
