BarentsNews.com

Crew from the Russian vessel “Pechenga”, which was arrested in Norway, has returned home.

This information was presented by the press-service of the State Fishery Committee of Russian Federation. It means that the period of a half year of forced stay onboard of the ship has ended for eight Russian fishermen. Trawler “Pechenga” owned by a Murmansk company was arrested in Norwegian harbour of Sortland, and the grew went to a hunger-strike because they have lost any hope of getting paid and returned back to Russia. The crew blamed the State Fishery Committee of Russian Federation for the problems, based on the fact that the committee has taken away their fish quotas and allocated those to other companies.

The press-service of the State Fishery Committee of Russian Federation has stated that the ship-owner went bankrupt already in 2001, and as a result fishery license was confiscated as well as quotas for catch of bio resources were taken back.

Arrears of the Russian businessman to the Norwegian partners account to app. 1 mill USD. If the company could get quotas for catch of 400 tonnes of cod, then it would manage to pay back approximately 150 thousand USD. The trawler will probably never return to Russia again, it will be sold on an auction.