The government of the Faroe Islands is imposing additional restrictions on Russian fishing vessels, preventing vessels that are not part of a bilateral agreement from docking at its ports.
The Faroe Islands parliament unanimously passed a bill authorizing sanctions against Russia in May 2022, in response to Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, which restricted Russian access to ports in the country – but the bill specifically did not apply to Russian fishing vessels. The restrictions were similar to sanctions implemented by Norway at the time, and reflected the decades of cooperation between the Faroe Islands, Norway, and Russia on fisheries issues.
Now, the country said it is further tightening restrictions so that only fishing vessels exclusively conducting fisheries under the bilateral agreement between the Faroe Islands and Norway – signed in November 2022 – will be allowed to access its ports. Those vessels that are permitted will also have restrictions on their activities while in port limited to crew changes, bunkering, provisioning, landing, and transshipment.
“Closing Faroese ports to Russian fishing vessels not exclusively conducting fisheries under bilateral agreement will significantly reduce the activities of Russian vessels in Faroese ports,” the Faroe Islands said.
Prior to the new restrictions, the Faroe Islands was the only place in Europe outside of Norway that still allowed Russian vessels to dock.
Russian vessels that catch fish outside of the agreement and land at the ports will be excluded. According to the government, that will result in a reduction in landings of between 300,000 and 400,000 metric tons (MT) a year.
The government said it plans to “substantially increase support to Ukraine,” aimed at efforts focusing on reconstruction following damaged caused by the Russian invasion and year-long bombing campaign.
Reuters reported the move comes after Norwegian police said some of the fishing vessels docked at the island were carrying military radio equipment. An investigative report by NRK outlined an extensive pattern of Russian fishing vessels allegedly being used for spying on infrastructure, based on AIS data indicating strange activity. The story detailed Soviet-era military radios hidden behind locked doors and clandestine exchanges of information involving at least 50 ships.
Norway reiterated its own restrictions on 12 May in a release from the government’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Russian fishing vessels are now allowed to change crew, bunker, unload, or gain provisions in Norwegian ports, but cannot access professional assistance of any kind. The Barents Observer reported the Finnmark chief of police has limited the areas of access for Russian seamen going on shore, and Norway's recently passed national budget included a provision granting an extra NOK 46.5 million (USD 4.2 million, EUR 3.9 million) to increase controls over Russian fishing vessels arriving in Norway.
Photo courtesy of FCG/Shutterstock
