Loophole lets Russians fish in British seas

RUSSIAN trawlers still have access to £16million of fish in UK waters because of a loophole that affects a stretch of sea off the north coast of Scotland, government officials have warned.

Despite a ban on Russian vessels fishing in UK waters or landing at British ports, trawlers have access to a “special area” that is jointly controlled by the UK Government and the Faroe Islands.

Government sources said at least six Russian boats entered the area recently using Faroese licences to fish for whitefish, worth around £16 million. In response, British officials have urged their Faroese counterparts to take a “tougher stance” and stop approving fishing licences for Russian trawlers as part of an international crackdown on the Russian economy in response to Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

A Whitehall source said ministers fear that allowing the boats in during an upcoming six-week window of migration for blue whiting will let Russia profit from the fish, funding its “war machine”.

Blue whiting is from the same family as cod, haddock and pollock. It is usually processed into fish food and oil, although it is sometimes eaten fresh in Russia.

The UK has already slapped a 35 per cent tariff on imports of Russian whitefish and has announced it will not issue any licences to Russian trawlers.

But under a series of international agreements, Britain cannot block access to the special area in the North Atlantic, if the Faroe Islands issues licences.

A government source said: “We have taken urgent action to maximise damage to Putin’s war machine. The Faroe Islands must take a tougher stance.”

The government of the Faroe Islands was contacted for comment.