Fifth EU sanctions ban Russian ships in EU ports.
Norway has introduced all EU sanctions so far and is behind this package. Fisheries and Maritime Affairs Minister Bjனர்rn Schjrn (Labor) said in a statement on Wednesday that Norway would accept this, but with changes.
This could have major consequences for the Norwegian industry.
– The store has not yet moved to Kirkenes, so he can come and turn off the light switch, says Gregor Manswerk, CEO of Gimek AS.
Competitions: Greger Mannsverk, managing director of Kimek AS, looks to the future without a Russian ship in the yard. Photo: Karen Anna Kleppy / TV2
The shipyard at Kirkenes is the largest privately owned company in Aust-Finnmark and receives more than 70 percent of its revenue from the Russian Fisheries Navy. Large parts of the business community in Sør-Varanger are closely linked to the Russian business community, especially the fishing navy.
Mannsverk now calls the new barriers to evaluation a disaster. He gets support from Lena Noram Bergenk, mayor of the Sør-Varanger municipality, who says banning Russian ships is a mass closure in the region.
Severity: Sør-Varanger and Mayor Lena Norum Bergeng (Labor) say sanctions could have serious consequences. Photo: Karen Anna Kleppy / TV2
– We’re not talking about dismissal, it’s about the door hook. This is very serious, says Noram Bergen.
– May cause collapse
In addition to the huge financial losses to the industry in Aust-Finmark, it is possible that fishing in the Barents Sea could experience really big consequences in the long run. This is the opinion of Andreas Astagan, a senior researcher at the Friedzof Nonsense Institute and the Center for the Upper North Center at Nord University.
– Sanctions could affect cooperation between Norway and Russia in managing common shares in the Barents Sea. இருக்கலாம்sthagen says it may be impossible to hold annual talks.
Andreas Østhagen, Researcher, High North Security Policy, Fridtjof Nansen Institute Institute Photo: Frode Sunde / TV 2
In the worst case scenario, he believes the years-long fisheries cooperation between the two countries could break down, leading to uncontrolled fishing, especially in the Gat stock. Then it can go to a security policy dimension.
– If resource management collapses, it could affect the fisheries protection zone around Svalbard because Russia has a different view and interpretation of the Svalbard Agreement.
The Svalbard Agreement protects Norway’s sovereignty over Svalbard and imposes conditions on Norway’s territory. Since it came into force in 1925, only Norway and Russia have extensive business activities and settled in the region.
In custody: The Norwegian Coast Guard often patrols around Svalbard. Here is a transshipment ship from the Coast Guard ship Barents Sea and Belize. Photo: Arilt Lisand / Governor of Svalbard
Astegen says opposition to the arrests took place 10-15 years ago because Russian tugboats were thought to have violated Norwegian rules and Norway had no right to inspect and arrest Svalbard.
– If so, we can now imagine that if this happens again, the Russian tugboats will protest the Norwegian Coast Guard’s inspection and ask for help from the Northern Navy (Russian Navy, Journ. Note) that we will end up in an escalating situation. This is not the most immediate thing that can happen, but the most harmful thing, says sthagen.
– Be surprised
With this feature in mind, I think Østhagen Norway should think extra carefully before banning Russian ships in Norwegian ports.
– I would be surprised if Norway implements sanctions on the EU in this area.
Nevertheless, he believes that in the wake of recent reports of war crimes in Ukraine, especially Putsja, fisheries cooperation cannot be maintained at any cost.
Harold Solberg, executive director of the Norwegian Ship Owners’ Association, thinks Norway should follow EU sanctions despite the repercussions.
Additional restrictions: Harold Solberg, CEO of the Norwegian Ship Owners Association, wants more restrictions than proposed. Photo: Gillian Munch
It is important that they are very tight, they are subjecting Putin to war. We call for tougher sanctions, including on Russian oil and oil products, says Solberg.
The Norwegian Ship Owners Association, in conjunction with Greenpeace, recently asked the European Union to impose sanctions on oil cargo from Russia.
Criticizes the support program
For Kimek and other businesses in Ast-Finmark, potential barriers will be severely affected. The government has already issued a compensation package for the Aust-Pinmark Island brand.
Close: The business community in Kyrgyzstan is closely linked with the business community in the Russian border cities. Photo: Daniel Berg Fosheng / TV2
The package includes a revenue fall support plan, a loan guarantee scheme for companies, a low risk loan plan and district-based solutions.
Mannsverk If the package is unusable.
– They provide not enough and do not meet the challenges. We need high risk loans, not low risk loans. We need to restructure and invest resources to see if we can enter other markets, not discount the same resources, says Mannsverk.
Mayor Noram Bergeng, on the other hand, thinks the package is good, except for low-risk loans. Nevertheless, if Russian ships are banned in Norwegian ports, a strong lie is needed.
– I have informed this to the Ministry of Fisheries. If the government closes Norwegian ports for Russian ships, the measures should be put on the table immediately, otherwise it will be a matter of closing, the mayor says.
HJØRNESTEIN: If Kimek AS were to resign, the entire Kirkenes community would be affected. Photo: Daniel Berg Fosheng / TV2
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