BarentsNews.com

Fishermen from Russian trawler “Pechenga” take extreme actions. On Tuesday, August 6th, crew from the trawler which are staying in Norwegian harbour Sortland has decided to go on an unlimited hunger-strike.

During last half year, the fishermen weren’t allowed to leave this ship due to the mess with acquisition of quotas for catch of cod and haddock. The ship itself is owned by a company located in Murmansk which can be forced to sell it on auction, if ship-owner will not manage to pay back 1 mill USD to his foreign partners. This is the total sum of all penalties and losses, carried by the Norwegian side which has already signed a contract to buy the whole catch budgeted by the Russian trawler.

The ship-owner got a fishery license in Murmansk, but it was cancelled during approval process in Moscow in The State Fishery Committee. As a consequence the company’s share of the regional quota was divided between other fleets. Regional authorities weren’t supportive to such a decision but they were ordered to find a solution by their own. In other words, it was said to allocate needed quota to “Pechenga” at the expense of other fishing companies.

While both sides are struggling with each other, the crew of the trawler remains as a hostage. The fishermen’s visas expired already in April, and from this moment they weren’t allowed to leave the ship. Food supply, medical help and communication with outer world is granted by Norwegians. During the whole period of time no money was being paid to the fishermen.

The hunger-strike is considered as a forced action by the fishermen self. But they are not going to recede, because their own opinion is that their “human right to free travel” was violated. The fishermen requiring a buss and money to travel back to the fatherland.