Ilya Shestakov, head of the Russian Federal Agency for Fisheries (Rosrybolovstvo), threatened Norway with retaliatory measures after the country joined EU sanctions against the Russian fishing companies Norebo JSC and Murman Seafood in July.
“If the Norwegian side doesn’t reconsider its position in a month, we will close our exclusive economic zone for Norwegian fishing vessels. In addition, fisheries and the allocation of fishing quotas in open waters of the Barents Sea and Norwegian Sea will be based on Russian interests,” said Shestakov.
The Joint Russian-Norwegian Fisheries Commission has been operating since 1976. It was established to ensure the careful use of aquatic biological resources in the Barents Sea and Norwegian Sea. Rosrybolovstvo said that even during the Cold War, the parties faithfully fulfilled their obligations, ensuring access to fishing areas for vessels and exchanging scientific data.
Norebo and Murman Seafood were added to the EU sanctions list in May 2025, with the justification that the companies are “part of a surveillance campaign that conducts espionage missions and sabotages critical infrastructure, including underwater cables.”
