Russians warn against oil drilling activities in Lofoten, Vesterålen, and Senja

LofotenLofoten. Photo: pixabay.com

The website, High North News reported that Russian fishermen in the north are worried about possible oil and gas extraction activities in Lofoten, Vesterålen, and Senja. They are critical of extraction activity in these areas.

 

Norges Fiskarlags leader, Kjell Ingebretsen, received a letter of concern from Director General Nikolai Demianenko, of the Russian Fisheries Union.

The Russian organisation is the Norwegian Fisheries Union cooperative organisation in Murmansk. According to Ingebretsen, Demianenko wrote that there is a need for Norwegian-Russian coordination of petroleum activity in the Barents Sea.

Norway’s Fisheries Union has repeatedly warned the government and the parliament against opening up petroleum activities in the areas between the Barents Sea and Lofoten.

Ingebrigtsen sent a letter to Prime Minister Erna Solberg and Arbeiderpartiet’s (Ap’s) leader, Jonas Gahr Støre on Wednesday, requesting that the views of Norwegian and Russian fishermen be emphasised in further discussions on the matter.

Ingebrigtsen wrote that the areas are important spawning and fishing areas, and that activity in these areas could have major negative consequences for the fishing industry, both in Norway and Russia.

‘These are areas that need to be treated separately, and are important both for Norwegian and Russian fishermen,’ he wrote.

 

© NTB Scanpix / Norway Today