Norway has long provided Russian harvesting vessels with port access for unloading their catch. The historical arrangement has helped local economies as well as fishermen based in adjacent NW Russia. Lately, however, Norwegian government concerns have grown that such activity creates opportunities for smuggling illicit products to Russia. As a result, now only three ports in Norway are open to fishing vessels from Russia. Complete closure of Norway’s ports is not useful, a government official said, because Russian fishermen are a legitimate component of proper management of the region’s fish stocks. But “we now have information,” the official said, that Russian vessels must be more carefully controlled, including customs inspections upon port arrival. In addition to smuggling, there are concerns about risks to pipelines and other sub-marine and surface infrastructure in Norway. Among Norway’s ports, only Kirkenes and Båtsfjord in the Barents Sea, and Tromsø in the Norwegian Sea, will now allow access to Russian fishing boats
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