...
Have the Faroese gone into economic fishing nets? Ports with Russian ships are 'politically dangerous' | Abroad | DR Russian ships continue to dock in the Faroe Islands despite EU sanctions. Although the countries have banned Russian ships as a result of the war in Ukraine, they continue to dock in Faroese ports. This is shown by data from the MarineTraffic service, which maps the ships' movements. The Russian ships are very visible. Both in the media picture, but also when driving around the islands, where they lie and steam. This is how Rolant Waag Dam, who is a journalist and editor at the Faroe Islands' national TV channel, Kringvarp Føroya, describes the reality that MarineTraffic has conveyed. If you say that the Russian ships are no longer allowed to dock, Hans Ellefsen, fisheries researcher, is perhaps afraid of the cod agreement. that the starting point is that we are part of those that are being put into effect, said the Faroese Foreign Minister, Jenis av Rana, to the media Sermitsiaq. That is why it is not on a collision course with's, it sounds from, among others, the Faroese Social Democracy, Javnaðarflokkurin. If the EU clearly decides to say that they close the ports to all Russian ships, so do we. But the EU has not given us a clear message that the ports should be closed. Sjúrdur Skaale, Member of Parliament for Javnaðarflokkurin. And Jens Ladefoged, associate professor of trade policy at the University of Copenhagen, "buys the argument" that food, is still in line with 's .But the pictures of the Russian ships in the Faroe Islands are still bad news for the island state.- I can see that they are spoken of as some who bypass - and it is therefore politically dangerous for the Faroe Islands, and it can create problems with relations between and the Faroe Islands in the future, says Jens Ladefoged. Large parts of the Faroese also do not enjoy the sight of the large Russian fishing vessels that dock in the ports to tranship their catch to cargo ships that bring it home to Russia .It tells Rolant Waag Dam.- We actually also talked about them before Russia attacked Ukraine because they disturbed people's night sleep. But now, of course, the debate has changed a lot. - And we are experiencing greater and greater pressure to stop this. For example, the largest fishing company in the Faroe Islands, Bakkafrost, on its own initiative has chosen to stop their fishing for Russia. salmon, herring and mackerel, which via the winding roads of geopolitics ended up bringing in a lot of money to the island state. In fact, a lot of money. In connection with the annexation of Crimea - and the subsequent trade conflict between Russia and the West, Russia banned from and Norway - but not the Faroe Islands. In half a year, the Faroese had sold fish for 700 million to the Russians, and Hagstova - The Faroe Islands' answer to Denmark's statistics - estimates that Russia today accounts for up to a quarter of all fish exported. in the Faroe Islands and has a PhD in fisheries economics.- 45 years ago, the Faroe Islands and Russia made an agreement on the exchange of. This means that Faroese ships fish for cod in the Barents Sea, and that Russian ships fish for mackerel, herring and blue whiting in Faroese, he explains. on which fish are actually on the ships that they tranship and send home to Russia. Therefore, Hans Ellefsen's analysis is also that the Faroese side could well deny the Russian ships access to the ports. - If you wanted, you could close the ports of Russian ships. Then I just think that the Russian ships would sail home with their fish to Russia instead of going to the Faroe Islands to tranship, he says and continues: - Purely politically, you may be afraid that the cod agreement will smoke if you says that the Russian ships must no longer dock. Journalist Rolant Waag Dam hears the dilemma as follows. - It is a question of morality and ethics on the one hand and money on the other, he says. At the same time, however, he is in no doubt that it is a huge decision if both ships and the fishing industry, which accounts for up to 95 percent of the country's export revenues.- It goes without saying that if you were to take 25 percent of the total economy out of Denmark, one would also consider it carefully, he says. Sjúrdur Skaale is a member of parliament for the Faroese opposition party Javnaðarflokkurin. His party is ready to stop fishing for Russia. - We believe that one should stop fishing for Russia, the more the Russian economy is affected, the better, he says. When it comes to getting the Russian ships out of the Faroese ports and settlements, then Sjúrdur Skaale plays the ball on to, which still allows a certain transport of.- If you decide to say clearly that they close the ports to all Russian ships, so do we. But has not given us a clear message that the ports should be closed. Is that satisfactory? - No, no cooperation with Russia is satisfactory. But the fishing agreement applies far ahead, and we can not exclude them from coming to Faroese, then it will just be without control in the ports. The Dane for agriculture, fishing and, Rasmus Prehn (S), informs Berlingske that he does not want to comment on the Russian ships with reference to the fact that the Faroe Islands themselves decide in the area.