Russia has threatened retaliatory measures against the Faroe Islands after the archipelago's parliament passed legislation allowing the government to ban Russian fishing companies from its waters. The new law, reported by Faroese public broadcaster on Wednesday, authorises the foreign minister to prohibit Norebo and Murman Seafood from operating in Faroese waters or docking in its harbours.
The move mirrors earlier actions by the European Union and Norway, which have accused the two companies of state-backed espionage in European waters. Both firms have denied the allegations. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday that the Faroese actions called into question their commitment to a 1977 fisheries agreement with the Soviet Union, now in force with Russia.
Under the agreement, the Faroe Islands export fish to Russia and allow Russian vessels to fish in its waters in exchange for access to cod stocks in the Barents Sea. Despite tightening port access in 2023, Russian boats have continued to dock and land catches under the bilateral deal. Zakharova stated that Russia is considering 'appropriate retaliatory measures'.
