The Barents Sea faces the threat of an environmental disaster following the potential collapse of the fisheries agreement between Norway and Russia. In July 2025, the Norwegian government, following the example of the European Union, added the major Russian fishing companies Norebo JSC and Murman Seafood to its sanctions list and banned them from accessing Norwegian ports. In response, Russia has threatened to terminate the existing bilateral fisheries agreement with Norway.
At the core of the dispute are European and Scandinavian security concerns that Russian fishing fleets may be engaged in underwater surveillance. These fears have intensified amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.
The Melkart-5, a vessel operated by Murman Seafood, has repeatedly exhibited unusual navigation patterns inconsistent with normal business or fishing operations. These include being present near an ongoing NATO military exercise and frequent activity close to critical Norwegian infrastructure and military facilities.
Norway’s decision to adopt the EU sanctions effectively means that vessels belonging to Norebo JSC and Murman Seafood are no longer permitted to dock in Norwegian ports or receive fishing licenses in Norway’s exclusive economic zone.
Norebo JSC, owned by a Russian oligarch with close ties to President Vladimir Putin, has categorically rejected the accusations made by the EU and Norway, calling them absurd.
The head of Russia’s Federal Fisheries Agency, Ilya Shestakov, announced that Russia would close its waters to Norwegian vessels and set fishing quotas exclusively serving Russia’s national interests if Norway did not change its stance.
Russia and Norway ratified the fisheries agreement during the Cold War in 1976, establishing joint quotas for cod to preserve cod stocks in the Barents Sea. Any disruption of this agreement could lead to a serious environmental issue, as joint management of fish stocks has been crucial to maintaining the sustainability of the marine ecosystem in the region.
Heiner Kubny, PolarJournal