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On Thursday, the Russian government summoned Norway’s ambassador in Moscow to issue a formal protest over Oslo’s recent decision to impose new restrictions on sanctioned Russian fishing vessels.
The move follows growing concerns in Europe about Russia’s alleged use of its commercial fishing fleet for intelligence-gathering operations in the Barents and Norwegian Seas. These suspicions echo Cold War-era tactics, with several Western governments now viewing the Russian trawlers as part of a wider state-sponsored surveillance effort.
In May 2025, the European Union sanctioned two Russian fishery companies—Norebo JSC and Murman Seafood—accusing them of supporting a Kremlin-backed intelligence network targeting Europe’s critical undersea infrastructure. The EU claimed these operations could potentially lay the groundwork for sabotage missions in the future.
By July, Norway aligned itself with the EU’s stance. On July 7, Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide confirmed the country’s decision to sanction both companies. “Such activity may facilitate future sabotage operations and threaten key Norwegian security interests,” he said in a statement.
The Norwegian sanctions effectively ban vessels linked to Norebo and Murman from accessing Norwegian ports and revoke their fishing licenses within Norway’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). These two firms represent a significant share of the Russian fishing presence in the Arctic region.
Norebo, which is owned by a Russian oligarch closely connected to President Vladimir Putin, has strongly denied the allegations, asserting that the EU and Norwegian claims are unfounded.
On Tuesday, Russia’s foreign ministry responded by summoning the Norwegian ambassador and delivering a letter of protest. The ministry described Oslo’s actions as “illegal restrictive measures” and reminded Norway of the 1976 bilateral fisheries agreement, which has long underpinned shared resource management in the Barents and Norwegian Seas.
The statement warned that if Norway fails to uphold the conditions outlined in the 1976 accord, Russia “will take the necessary measures to protect the interests of domestic fisheries.”
In response, Norwegian foreign ministry spokesperson Andreas Bjørklund reiterated Norway’s commitment to Arctic fisheries cooperation but emphasized the broader geopolitical context. “We want to continue cooperation on fisheries management in the Barents Sea,” he said in comments to Aftenposten. “At the same time, we stand united with our European allies in responding to Russia’s aggression in Ukraine and its behavior toward NATO countries. The rules for Norwegian ports are set by Norwegian authorities.”
