Norway court rules snow crab fishing off-limits for non-Norwegian vessels

The Supreme Court of Norway ruled March 20 that foreign ships cannot fish for snow crab off the Svalbard archipelago.

The case stems from a 2019 incident in which Latvian vessel owner SIA North Star applied for a license to catch the species but was turned down on the basis that only Norwegian vessels can receive such a license.

Although the company had permission from the EU to fish on the continental shelf of Svalbard, it lacked authorization from Norway.