Norway still uncertain on port denials despite EU warnings of sabotage plans

The foreign ministry in Oslo can’t give a clear answer to whether Norway will ban port access for the two major Russian fishery companies now sanctioned by the European Union.

Russian fishing vessels are mapping critical infrastructure and conducting human intelligence gatherings in Norwegian waters. The government is well-informed about the spying, sources tell the Barents Observer. This is the main reason why Russian flagged ships last year got port stay limited to a maximum of five days. While Norwegian authorities never named the suspected operators, the European Union last week took action and listed both Norebo and Murman Seafood, the two largest Russian fishing companies which harvests in the Barents and Norwegian Seas. According to Brussel’s 17th sanction package, the two Murmansk based companies are conducting espionage and “activities that can facilitate future sabotage operations.” Oslo is unwilling to tell if the two fishing companies will be part of Norway’s sanctions against Russia.

“National adaptions may be necessary,” said state secretary in the foreign ministry, Eivind Vad Petersson to the Barents Observer. He made clear that Norway, like before, in general will implement EU’s 17th sanctions package. Vad Petersson refrained from answering direct questions about the future of Norebo and Murman Seafood vessels in Norwegian ports. “We are considering this now,” he added. Not closing ports Also minister of fisheries and ocean policy, Marianne Sivertsen Næss, keeps the question open for Norway to continue allowing fishing vessels from the two spy-accused companies welcome to the northern ports of Tromsø, Båtsfjord and Kirkenes.

“As normal, we will, together with the ministry of foreign affairs, review the regulation and consider how this should be followed up nationally,” Sivertsen Næss said when meeting the Barents Observer in Kirkenes last week. Prime minister Jonas Gahr Støre assures that “relevant authorities pay a lot of attention” to security questions when allowing Russian fishing vessels to ports in northern Norway. “We are not on the verge of saying that we are closing the ports, but they are under significantly tighter control and surveillance,” the prime minister said in a video-link interview with the Barents Observer. Important for cod stocks Sivertsen Næss added that the main objective is to maintain the cod stocks in the Barents Sea. “We want Russian trawlers to fish a larger part in the Norwegian economic zone and not in the Russian economic zone because the fish there are smaller and have not spawned yet,” she said.

While the few-year-old cod swims the eastern Barents Sea, the older returns to the waters near the Lofoten archipelago. Consequently, it is both more lucrative and sustainable to do the catch in the Norwegian exclusive economical zone. The two countries have cooperated on maintaining fish stocks with quota regulations in the Barents Sea since the 1970ties. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, Murmansk and Arkhangelsk based companies have preferred to land fish in Norwegian and European ports as payments are far better than home in Russia. Except Norway and to some degree the Faroe Islands, Russian flagged vessels have been banned all over Europe since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Big money for Russia For sanctioned oligarch Vitaly Orlov, a friend of Vladimir Putin, selling seafood is big business. The fishery tycoon is believed to have a fortune of more than $2 billion. Judging from figures from Forbes, his fortune almost doubled between 2024 and 2025. Orlov controls Norebo, the largest fisheries quota holder in Russia. Norebo, though, does allegedly more than catching fish.

According to the EU, vessels from the company are “linked to the Russian state-sponsored surveillance campaign that employs inter alia, civilian fishing trawlers, to conduct espionage missions directed against civilian and military infrastructure in the North and Baltic Sea.” Espionage The EU council states: “Shipping vessels owned and operated by Norebo JSC have also been equipped with technology that may be used for espionage.” In northern Norway, Norebo’s trawler Taurus is a frequent visitor. One day, the trawler suddenly left port in Tromsø and sailed in the path of a U.S. nuclear-powered attack submarine that made port call at the same time, according to an investigation by the Nordic state broadcasters. After the sanctions became known last week, the well-informed Bloger51 in Murmansk noted on Telegram that Norebo is like Matryoshka (Russian nesting dolls) with many affiliated legal entities. Sanctioning Norebo does not mean that all affiliated legal entities will be banned, the blogger said.

Svalbard optical fiber cable The other major company now sanctioned by the EU is Murman Seafood, owner of Melkart-5, the trawler suspected of being connected to damage on a underwater cable between Norway and Svalbard and whose crew violated shore leave regulations in Kirkenes. Fjords and ports in the north of Norway are of essential importance in case of an escalating conflict between Russia and the West. NATO has in recent years increased military exercises in the region, with big focus on the maritime domain. EU notes that Melkart-5 conducted “extremely unusual navigational activity.” Putin’s Maritime Doctrine from July 2022 makes clear that civilian vessels and their crews, including for fishing, can be included in the Navy when needed. Moscow is frequently stating that it already is in conflict with the collective West, a term that includes Norway.

Good control Chief of Defense, General Eirik Kristoffersen, said the Norwegian intelligence service (NIS) has “a very good overview” of what happens at sea. Last week, the General invited top Nordic military brasses to Kirkenes, Norway’s easternmost port still open for Russian fishing vessels. “We know that Russia is mapping critical infrastructure, not only by military means but with all means available,” he said. Kristoffersen added: “There are not only a few, but many vessels sailing outside the coast. We keep good track of them.” “No reason to keep ports open” It is the police that is in charge of counterintelligence.

Chief of police in Finnmark, Ellen Katrine Hætta is crystal clear: “I think we should consider closing the ports. There are no reasons to keep them open,” she said. “There are of course political considerations that should be made, but denying access should be considered,” the chief of police said. Hætta made clear that the police keep track, and control, of all port calls. Have you discovered any espionage or mapping of critical infrastructure?

“I can’t give detailed answers to that. We note that such things happen in Norway,” Ellen Katrine Hætta said. The police security service (PST) has previously told the Barents Observer about their discovery a radio device in a locked room inside the fish factory vessel Ester at port in Kirkenes. The radio device was of a type often used for military communications at sea.