Russian seafood tycoon Vitaly Orlov has sued Norway after his fishing group, Norebo, was barred from Norwegian waters and ports over security concerns linked to EU sanctions.
According to The Barents Observer, Norway enforced the ban last summer after the EU added Norebo to its 17th sanctions package. The case will be heard at the Oslo City Court on 26 January.
Sanctions and court action
The European Council said Norebo-owned vessels showed “erratic movement patterns” and may have been fitted with technology that could be used for espionage. Norway followed up by denying the fleet access to its territorial waters, ports and the Norwegian economic zone.
Orlov’s lawyers argue that the ban exceeds Norway’s rights under fisheries agreements and international law. They say the restrictions should only apply inside Norway’s 12-mile territorial limit, not in wider economic zones.
Espionage claims rejected
Norebo rejects all claims of intelligence work. Its lawyer, Hallvard Østgård, said the company has filed a 10,000-page response to the EU, denying that its vessels were used for spying or hostile activity.
Norwegian authorities disagree. The European Council said vessel movements matched patterns seen near critical infrastructure and military sites.
High stakes in the Barents Sea
Norebo is one of Russia’s largest fishing groups. Together with Murman Seafood, it controls about 40% of the Barents Sea cod quota. Orlov, 60, is estimated by Forbes to be worth around €1.8 billion.
Norway’s foreign minister Espen Barth Eide has warned that Russian hybrid activity near undersea cables and pipelines poses a growing security risk.