A Norwegian shrimp trawler is still detained in Murmansk, two weeks after an inspection by Russian Coastguard showed a flaw in the trawler’s licensing paperwork. The trawler’s owners are on their way to Russia to meet the crew who have been in limbo for the last couple of weeks.
‘We are going to Murmansk to meet Remøy’s crew and we are working on relieving some of the crew,’ said Remøy Havfiske chairman Olav Remøy.
‘We must not forget that that they were on their way home when the trawler was escorted to Murmansk. Now they have been on board two extra weeks an they expect to be able to go home.’
The crew of the trawler are fifteen Norwegians and two Faroese.
Significant costs have already been incurred by Remøy’s owners while the trawler has been anchored in Murmansk, with legal fees, agenting costs, port dues and lost fishing time.
‘It’s going to be a big amount. Lost fishing means a loss of around half a million NoKs per days,’ Olav Remøy said.
Licensing for Norwegian vessels fishing in Russian waters comes under agreements between the two nations and the fishing company had applied to the Norwegian authorities for a licence to fish in the Russian zone. The licence was granted and the trawler’s managers relied on the licence being in order.
The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs manages relations with the Russian authorities.
