Dispute over agreement with Faroe Islands: Russia is (still) fishing with permission in Northern Europe

Despite the war in Ukraine, the small archipelago of the Faroe Islands continues to allow fishing boats from Russia to fish in the waters off the North Atlantic island and use the Faroese ports. This causes trouble between the Faroe Islands, the Danish motherland and the EU.

More sheep than people, grass-covered houses, lots of wind, lots of water, 18 islands in the Atlantic between Scotland and Iceland. These are the Faroe Islands. An autonomous country in the Kingdom of Denmark.

It is precisely this status that sometimes makes the interaction with the Faroese so complicated. While the Faroe Islands are part of the Kingdom of Denmark, just like Greenland, they are not part of the European Union. In the Faroe Islands only their own rules and treaties apply. This also applies to fishing, by far the most important economic sector in the archipelago.

For almost 50 years there has been an agreement between the Faroe Islands and Russia that regulates fishing in the region. The contract has existed since 1977 and is renegotiated every year. It allows Russian trawlers to fish in Faroese waters and tranship the catch in Faroese ports. For 2023, it was determined that the Russians would be allowed to catch 72,000 tons of blue whiting, 13,000 tons of mackerel and 8,500 tons of herring. In return, fishermen from the Faroe Islands are allowed to fish in the Russian Barents Sea. In the current year, that’s around 12,000 tons of cod, 4,000 tons of shrimp and 1,200 tons of halibut.

“These are huge amounts that are regulated in this agreement,” makes Soften runereporter for Northern Europe and Scandinavia topics at “Stern”, in the ntv podcast “Learned something again”.

Independent since 1948

The fact that the Faroe Islands can do their own thing, bypassing the rules and laws in Copenhagen and Brussels, is due to the special status of the archipelago. As an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, the Faroe Islands have their own government and parliament.

The roots of independence go back 75 years. Previously, the Faroe Islands were under Danish rule, from 1940 the British occupied the Sheep Islands because of their important strategic location. In 1946, one year after the end of the Second World War, the population voted in favor of state independence by a slim majority. After two years of negotiations with Denmark, an autonomy law was agreed. This allows the Faroe Islands extensive political independence. When Denmark joined the EU in 1973, the Faroese did not go with it. That’s why the Faroese government can still sign treaties with Russia.

For decades, however, no one was particularly interested in the Faroe Islands’ fishing treaties, except for the Faroese themselves. After all, fishing in Russian waters secures a not inconsiderable part of their prosperity. Fishing as a whole accounts for over 90 percent of Faroese exports. “The Faroe Islands could do without this agreement with Russia if they have suitable alternatives. But they don’t have them at the moment,” says Weichert, summing up the problem.

I was told in conversationsthat this agreement has been extended again and again without looking for alternatives. Then came the Ukraine war and politicians in the Faroe Islands said: We support the EU sanctions to a large extent, but we make an exception when it comes to fishing,” reports Weichert in the ntv podcast.

“Morally wrong, but no alternative”

In fact, the Faroe Islands also condemn the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine and partially support EU sanctions. The archipelago has also taken in Ukrainian refugees. However, the fisheries agreement was extended by a further twelve months at the end of last year.

Despite some vehement criticism, the opposition in the Faroe Islands also voted in favor of the continuation. “A Social Democrat MP representing the Faroe Islands in Copenhagen told me that he thought it was morally wrong, but his party voted for it because there was no alternative.” The MEP that Weichert is talking about compares the Faroe Islands’ fisheries agreement with the role played by Russian natural gas in Germany. “Suspending this agreement immediately would have had massive consequences for the Faroese economy. That’s why we felt compelled to continue like this,” reports Weichert.

How important fishing is for the Faroe Islands is also shown by the fact that there is no Minister of Economics in the government, instead the deputy head of government of the 54,000-inhabitant archipelago holds the position of Minister for Fisheries.

Pirate accusation from Denmark

Characteristic of the Faroe Islands: house covered with grass, sky overcast.

(Photo: picture alliance / Westend61)

Denmark is critical of the fact that the Faroe Islands put their economy above morality. In Copenhagen, both Conservatives and Social Democrats expressed concerns about the Faroese way. “The chairman of the Danish Fishermen’s Association even equated the Faroe Islands with pirates because the Russian ships could just come in and out as they wanted. The Danish government is a little more reluctant, saying it’s a Faroe Islands matter and they respect that.” , reports Weichert in the ntv podcast.

Even in Brussels, the Faroe Islands going it alone are not welcomed. A Danish EU politician said that Danish radio, the continuation of the agreement is “not an appropriate signal in the midst of a global crisis”. Instead, the West must “unite” against Russia.

But there are not only negative voices – some see an opportunity in the tricky situation between the Faroe Islands, Denmark and the EU. At the end of last year, a conservative Danish MEP demanded that Copenhagen and Brussels should work together with the Faroe Islands to develop new potential business areas and strengthen cooperation overall. It is not fair to criticize the Faroese too much for their course. After all, the small people of the Atlantic are not the only country that still works closely with Russia in the field of fishing. In fact, Norway also has such an agreement with Russia – that too is anything but undisputed.

Faroe Islands as suspected espionage target

The new government of the Faroe Islands has also set itself the goal of making the local economy independent of Russia. The Social Democrats – still in opposition when the 2023 agreement was signed – won the general election in December and have led a left-leaning three-party government ever since.

The long-term goal of the new government is for the almost 100,000 tons of fish that Russia is allowed to catch in the waters off the Faroe Islands this year to be fished by domestic trawlers in the future. But first larger factories have to be built. And it needs new partners whose waters the Faroese fishermen can use if they are no longer allowed to fish in Russian ones. “An alternative could be Great Britain, but of course also the EU, Iceland, Greenland or Canada,” says Weichert, naming examples of possible new fishing cooperations. “I think that people in the Faroe Islands are willing to look for an alternative to Russia. Stepping out step by step and looking for alternatives could be the way,” says Weichert.

Research by Nordic TV stations on suspected espionage activities by the Russians shows that this could possibly be a good idea. Accordingly, Moscow is said to have used civilian ships for espionage purposes in Europe on a large scale in recent years. These include two fishing trawlers that have also called at the Faroe Islands for years – thanks to the fishing agreement.

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