Latvia wants release of trawler arrested for crabbing in Norwegian waters

Latvia was scrambling this week to secure the release of a Latvian fishing boat arrested for catching crab in Norway's waters, media reports said on Wednesday.

The Latvian trawler, Senator, was detained on Jan. 16 as it was crabbing in the waters around Norway's Arctic archipelago of Svalbard (Spitzbergen), the Independent Barents Observer reported.

The online publication said that the Latvian vessel is "suspected of having engaged in illegal catch of snow crab on the Norwegian shelf in the Svalbard fishery protection zone".

The Norwegian authorities said the Latvian fishermen had set some 2,600 crab traps in the area.

The Norwegian coastguard then ordered the Latvian trawler to set course to the Norwegian port of Kirkenes and wait for police to take further action.

There were a crew of 30 people on board the Senator.

On Monday, the Latvian Foreign Ministry served the Norwegian Embassy in Riga a note asking to release the crab trawler.

On Tuesday, Latvian Agriculture Minister Janis Duklavs said that the ministry is doing everything in its power to secure the arrested vessel's release. 

source: Xinhua