Fresh twist in Cod War as UK, EU file lawsuits in quota spat with Norway

IN A new twist in the so-called Cod War, 14 fishing companies from the EU and the UK have filed a lawsuit against Norway over reduced fishing quotas in the Svalbard zone in the Arctic Sea, the trade newspaper Fiskeribladet reported.

Earlier, in the aftermath of Brexit, Norway cut the quota for EU vessels to around 19 000 tons, while the EU continued to operate under the previous quota of 29 000 tons despite Norway being formally responsible for managing the fishing quotas in the protection zone around Svalbard.

Torben Foss, of the law and consulting firm PwC Bergen, which assists ENAFA, cited the massive job losses due to slashed quotas.

“Taking 10000 tons of cod from someone, it leads to people losing their jobs. There are some Spanish, French, Polish, and German fishermen who no longer get the benefits from the Svalbard zone that they have had for the last 35 years,” Foss said.

He cited the “calm and predictable” pattern of quota distribution in the Svalbard zone that has been in use since 1987 and which Norway effectively “ended with a single blow” in December last year. Foss argued that it is therefore fully correct to present the case before a Norwegian court.

Norwegian Minister of Fisheries and Seafood Odd Emil Ingebrigtsen underscored that it was important that the quotas that Norway sets in its waters were respected when it allowed other countries’ vessels to fish there.

“Should there be a disagreement about the size of a quota, it must be resolved between the states and not by one party insisting on being able to fish more in our waters than Norway allows. This is a fundamental question of respect for international and national law”, Ingebrigtsen concluded.

When Brexit was finalised, Norway argued that the EU’s fishing quota had to be reduced accordingly, to accommodate the loss of a senior member. The UK received a quota of 5 500 tons, while the EU had its original quota reduced by about 10 000 tons. The remainder of the original quota was divided between Norway and Russia.

Since then, the conflict between the EU and Norway has flared. While the EU has threatened Norway with sanctions, Oslo has threatened to deploy its Coast Guard in retaliation.