The Svalbard Fisheries Protection Zone: How Russia and Norway Manage an Arctic Dispute
Journal Title: Arctic and North - Year 2020, Vol 40, Issue 40
Abstract
Svalbard and the maritime zone around this Arctic archipelago are central to Norway–Russia rela-tions. Since 1977, a dispute has concerned Norway’s right to exercise jurisdiction over fisheries. What are Russian positions on Norwegian jurisdiction enforcement in the Fisheries Protection Zone (FPZ)? How have perceptions and reactions evolved since the turn of the millennium? Has the deterioration in the bilateral relationship post-2014 sharpened the dispute in the FPZ, and has the risk of conflict increased? We find that 2014 does not appear to be a watershed with respect to relations in the FPZ around Svalbard. After the dramatic arrest of a Russian trawler in 2005, the Russian central authorities switched from protest to relatively conciliatory dialogue — with a marked exception in 2011 related to Russian domestic discord surrounding the 2010 Barents Sea maritime boundary agreement. After 2011, incidents in the FPZ have been handled without further escalation, but the situation is underpinned by various factors that might change. Russia’s policies in the FPZ have been a balancing act: always stressing its official position and insisting that there are limitations to how much Norwegian enforcement can be accepted, while also ensuring that the enforcement regime survives.
Authors and Affiliations
Andreas ØSTHAGEN, Anne-Kristin JØRGENSEN, Arild MOE
Keywords
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- EP ID EP690423
- DOI 10.37482/issn2221-2698.2020.40.183
- Views 237
- Downloads 0
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