The fifth EU sanctions package bans Russian ships in EU ports.
Norway has introduced all EU sanctions so far, and is also behind this package. Minister of Fisheries and Marine Affairs Bjørnar Skjæran (Labor Party) said in a press release on Wednesday that Norway will adopt this, but with adjustments.
This can have major consequences for the Norwegian industry.
– Støre has not been to Kirkenes yet, so then he can come and turn off the light switch, says Greger Mannsverk, CEO of Kimek AS.
– COMPETITIONS: The managing director of Kimek AS, Greger Mannsverk, looks gloomily at the future without a Russian ship at the yard. Photo: Karen Anna Kleppe / TV 2
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The shipyard in Kirkenes is the largest privately owned company in Aust-Finnmark, and derives over 70 percent of its turnover from the Russian fishing fleet. Large parts of the business community in Sør-Varanger are closely linked to the Russian business community, and especially the fishing fleet.
Mannsverk calls the new sanctions that are now up for assessment a disaster. He receives support from the mayor of Sør-Varanger municipality, Lena Norum Bergeng, who says that a ban on Russian ships means mass closure in the region.
– SERIOUS: For Sør-Varanger and mayor Lena Norum Bergeng (Labor Party), the sanctions can have serious consequences. Photo: Karen Anna Kleppe / TV 2
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– We are not talking about redundancy then, then it is about the hook on the door. It is very serious, says Norum Bergeng.
– May cause collapse
In addition to large financial losses for the industry in Aust-Finnmark, it is fishing in the Barents Sea that can experience the really big consequences in the long term. This is the opinion of senior researcher at Fridtjof Nansen’s Institute and the High North Center at Nord University, Andreas Østhagen.
– The sanctions may affect co-operation between Norway and Russia on the management of common stocks in the Barents Sea. Annual negotiations may be impossible to carry out, says Østhagen.
– Andreas Østhagen, researcher, security policy in the High North, Fridtjof Nansen’s institute Photo: Frode Sunde / TV 2
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In the worst case, he believes, the years-long fisheries cooperation between the two countries could break down, which in turn could lead to uncontrolled fishing and a collapse in the cod stock in particular. Then it can move into a security policy dimension.
– If the resource management collapses, it could affect the fisheries protection zone around Svalbard, as Russia has a different opinion and interpretation of the Svalbard Treaty.
The Svalbard Treaty secures Norway full sovereignty over Svalbard, and stipulates conditions that Norway must fulfill in the management of the area. Since it came into force in 1925, only Norway and Russia have had extensive business activities and settlement in the area.
– ON GUARD: The Norwegian Coast Guard often patrols around Svalbard. Here by the Coast Guard ship Barents Sea and a transhipment ship from Belize. Photo: Arild Lyssand / The Governor of Svalbard
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Østhagen tells that 10-15 years ago it happened repeatedly that Russian trawlers broke Norwegian rules and opposed arrest because they thought Norway had no right to inspect and arrest around Svalbard.
– Then we can now imagine that if this happens again, where Russian trawlers opposed inspection from the Norwegian Coast Guard and ask the Northern Fleet (Russian Navy, journ. Note) for help, we may end up in a situation where it escalates. It is not the most immediate thing that can happen, but the most harmful thing, says Østhagen.
– Will surprise
With this aspect in mind, I think Østhagen Norway must think extra carefully before introducing a ban on Russian ships in Norwegian ports.
– It will surprise me if Norway follows the sanctions package to the EU in this area.
Nevertheless, he believes that after the latest news about the war crimes in Ukraine, and especially Butsja, one can not maintain fisheries cooperation at any cost.
The managing director of the Norwegian Shipowners’ Association, Harald Solberg, thinks Norway must follow the sanctions from the EU, despite the consequences.
– MORE SANCTIONS: Harald Solberg, CEO of the Norwegian Shipowners’ Association, wants more sanctions than presented. Photo: Kilian Munch
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It is important that they are so tight that they hit Putin’s subject to war. We have also called for stricter sanctions that include Russian oil and oil products, says Solberg.
The Norwegian Shipowners’ Association recently joined forces with Greenpeace and asked the EU for sanctions on oil cargo from Russia.
Criticizes the support scheme
For Kimek and other businesses in Aust-Finnmark, the possible sanctions will hit hard. The government has already presented a compensation package for the Aust-Finnmark island brand.
– CLOSE: The business community in Kirkenes is closely linked to the business community in the Russian border towns. Photo: Daniel Berg Fosseng / TV 2
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The package includes a support scheme for income falls, a loan guarantee scheme for companies, a low-risk loan scheme and district-oriented remedies.
Mannsverk means the package is not usable.
– What they have to offer is not good enough and does not meet the challenges. We need high-risk loans, not low-risk loans. We have to readjust, invest resources to see what other markets we can enter, and not lay off the same resources, says Mannsverk.
Mayor Norum Bergeng, on the other hand, thinks that the package is good, except for low-risk loans. Nevertheless, if Russian ships are banned in Norwegian ports, stronger lye is needed.
– I have communicated this to the Ministry of Fisheries. If the government closes Norwegian ports to Russian vessels, measures must be put on the table immediately, otherwise it is a matter of closure, says the mayor.
– HJØRNESTEIN: If Kimek AS has to resign, the entire Kirkenes community will be affected. Photo: Daniel Berg Fosseng / TV 2
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