Putin threatens British fish and chips: Russia declares fishing war with Britain, bans our Barents Sea trawlers and landings of cod and haddock

One of Britain’s favorite dishes is under threat from a Kremlin plan to tear up a decades-old agreement that allows British ships to fish in Russia’s Arctic waters.

British vessels have been allowed to fish along the coast of Russia’s Kola Peninsula in the Barents Sea and east of Cape Kanin Nos for almost 70 years – even at the height of the Cold War.

A huge amount of cod and haddock sold in fish and chip shops across the country traditionally comes from these waters – according to data from UK Fisheries, a whopping 566,784 tonnes of cod were scooped into the Barents Sea last year alone.

But now Vladimir Putin is said to have declared a fisheries war on Britain, with his government backing a bill that would see Russia withdraw from the 1956 agreement and ban Britain from its respected supply of cod and haddock.

It comes in response to Britain’s decision to impose sanctions on Moscow over the war in Ukraine, and could see Russian Navy warships being used to warn British ships.

British vessels have been allowed to fish along the coast of Russia’s Kola Peninsula in the Barents Sea and east of Cape Kanin Nos for almost 70 years.

About 40 percent of the cod and haddock sold in fish and chips nationwide traditionally comes from these waters

Russian Navy warships could be deployed to warn British ships if the legislation is passed

Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting with members of the Russian government via video link in Moscow on January 17, 2024

The Fisheries Agreement between Britain and the Soviet Union was signed in Moscow on May 25, 1956 by Soviet Deputy Foreign Minister Vasily Kuznetsov and British Ambassador to the USSR William Hayter.

The deal led to an increase in British fishing in the Barents Sea, and in 1961 British ships caught 158,000 tons of cod in the region.

Nine years later this had risen to 181,000 tonnes, when the Cod Wars led to a reduction in catches around Iceland, and the region has since supplied a huge quantity of British cod and haddock.

But Putin is preparing to ‘denounce’ the Cold War agreement, according to the Izvestia newspaper.

“Russia will ban Britain from catching fish in the waters of the Barents Sea,” the report said.

‘This is the first denounced international food treaty. The government has already approved the (ban).”

The move, which still needs to be approved by parliament, means the Russians will use warships to deter British trawlers fishing in these waters.

It comes after the Agriculture Ministry suspected the ban would not have a significant impact on the Russian economy.

“The termination of the agreement will not have serious foreign policy and economic consequences for Russia,” the report said.

Moscow said it took the steps after Britain excluded Russia from “most favored nation” trading status in March 2023, with Germany’s Zverev – chairman of the All-Russian Fisheries Association – saying the 1956 agreement was one-sided and no benefits to the country. Moscow.

Putin’s regime was particularly angry about an additional 35 percent tariff on imports of certain Russian goods, including copper and vodka.

Britain said this was done to “inflict maximum damage on the Russian economy while minimizing negative consequences for Britain.”

Image shows a fishing boat in the Barents Sea

The Fisheries Agreement between Great Britain and the Soviet Union was signed in Moscow on May 25, 1956 by Soviet Deputy Foreign Minister Vasily Kuznetsov (L) and British Ambassador to the USSR William Hayter (R).

A story about the fisheries agreement between Britain and the Soviet Union in an Australian newspaper in September 1956

“Russia will ban Britain from catching fish in the waters of the Barents Sea,” said the report published in the Izvestia newspaper.

Once a frozen wilderness, the Arctic is quickly becoming a hotspot for geopolitical maneuvering, largely because of the incredible reserves of resources hidden beneath the frost.

The retreating ice sheets have exposed vast reserves of vital resources. The US Geological Survey estimates that the Arctic holds an estimated 90 billion barrels (roughly 15%) of the world’s undiscovered conventional oil resources and some 40 billion barrels (roughly 30%) of its oil reserves. undiscovered conventional natural gas resources.

The region is also rich in much-needed rare earth minerals that are integral to the production of modern battery and microchip technology.

Furthermore, increasing accessibility to existing trade routes such as the Northern Sea Route (NSR) – or the potential for new routes such as the Transpolar Sea Route (TSR) – could dramatically reduce shipping times and fuel consumption.

For example, the distance from a Northwestern European port to the Far East along the NSR is almost 40% shorter than the traditional route via the Suez Canal.

And the melting of the Arctic ice means that more ships with reinforced hulls can cross areas that have historically been inaccessible – or at least the reserve of dedicated icebreakers.

Establishing governance over the Arctic is a major challenge because although eEach member of the Arctic Council has sovereign rights over its territory and exclusive economic zones (EEZs), everything outside these boundaries is classified as international waters or high seas.

A vast area around the Arctic – including much of the Transpolar Sea Route that could become a future artery of world trade – is therefore open to free navigation, fishing, resource exploration and overflight by all parties, with the door left ajar remains standing. for a potential violent conflict for control and influence in these regions as they become accessible.