American Navy vessels carried out a live-fire drill in the Storegga fishing grounds northwest of Ålesund earlier this week. Several Norwegian trawlers were in the area, but no advance notice was given through the official channels.
The organisation Fiskebåt calls the incident “very serious” and warns of risks to both safety and livelihoods.
No Proper Warning
The first notice came only over VHF channel 16, when fishermen were suddenly told to keep away from a danger zone. Sturla Roald, deputy director of Fiskebåt, says this is unacceptable.
“Military exercises must be announced in good time. A late message like this puts crews in danger and can force vessels to stop fishing at short notice,” Sturla Roald said.
Concern Over Safety and Economy
According to Roald, the lack of formal warnings poses a risk of accidents and significant financial losses. Crews never received precise details about the duration of the drill, and no cancellation message followed.
“We cannot accept exercises in areas of heavy fishing without proper planning,” he stressed.
Calls for Accountability
Fiskebåt has asked Norway’s Armed Forces for answers on whether they were informed and why the fleet was not warned. Similar problems have been raised before with Russian exercises in the north.
“Every state is bound by international law to consider fishing when they hold military drills in Norway’s economic zone,” Roald said.
Demands for Change
In a letter to the Armed Forces, Fiskebåt urged that future drills avoid peak fishing areas and times, that danger zones be kept as small as possible, and that exercises be clearly announced well in advance.
“These expectations apply even more strongly when the drills are held by allied forces,” Roald added.