OSLO, August 17. /TASS/. The Russian fishing vessel M-0239 Melkart was arrested by a Norwegian coast guard boat within the 200-mile fish protected zone around the Arctic archipelago Spitsbergen, the coast guard’s press service told TASS on Wednesday.

"I can confirm that the Russian trawler was arrested within the 200-mile zone around Svalbard [Spitsbergen] due to fish thrown overboard," a spokesman for the coast guard’s press service said.

Despite the archipelago’s special international status, Norway unilaterally extended the status of the so-called fish protected zone to the 200-mile water area around Spitsbergen in 1977, which, as Russia believes, contradicts the provisions of the 1920 Spitsbergen Treaty.

Russian sailors have the right to fish inside this zone and fishing rules common for both countries have been agreed. However, Russia does not recognize the Norwegian inspectors’ right to exercise control inside this zone and arrest Russian vessels in case of the breach of the Norwegian fishing legislation and oblige their captains to submit documentation on entry into and exit from the zone, fishing volumes, etc.

The Russian embassy in Oslo is not commenting on the situation.

In wait for a penalty

The Melkart on whose board the Norwegian inspectors climbed is currently at sea. In the past few years, the Russian authorities have secured some concessions from the Norwegian side. These concessions help resolve most disputable situations without delivering a non-compliant vessel to the nearest port. However, it is not quite clear yet how events will develop in this case. In compliance with the standard procedure, the coast guard has already transferred the case to the police of the Polar town of Tromso, which is expected to impose a penalty on the ship owner, if the fact of the violation is recognized.

"By now, I have not yet received all the necessary papers on the incident from the coast guard. That is why, I can’t comment in detail on the situation," an employee of the Norwegian Prosecutor’s Office told TASS.

Problem of fish discards

Under the Norwegian fishing legislation, the practice of throwing away fish caught in fishing nets is fully banned and large penalties are envisaged for violators of this ban.