Norway’s Supreme Court to hear Arctic snow crab case affecting oil exploration

Norway’s Supreme Court heard arguments on Tuesday (24 January) about whether EU ships may fish for snow crab off Arctic islands north Norway. This case could determine who is allowed to explore for oil or minerals in the region.

The question is whether EU vessels are allowed to capture snow crabs, whose meat is prized by Japanese and South Korean gourmets, in the same manner as Norwegian vessels.

A Latvian fisheries firm applied for a fishing licence to capture the species in the non-EU country in 2019. However, the refusal was based on the fact that only Norwegian vessels are allowed to do so.

On Tuesday, the Latvian firm will argue that it can also under the 1920 Svalbard Treaty. This treaty grants Norway sovereignty over Arctic islands subject to the condition that other signatories have full access to their territorial waters.

Oeystein Jensen from Oslo’s Fridtjof Nansen Institute, says Tuesday’s case could have far-reaching consequences.

He said that if the Supreme Court believes the Svalbard Treaty applies, it’s not just about snow crab. “It will also be about oil, gas and minerals. It is either everything or nothing.”

As a sign of how important the case is for Norway, fifteen Supreme Court judges will hear arguments during the four day session. The majority of other cases are decided by a five-member panel.

After a similar Latvian fisheries company tried to fish off Svalbard using an EU license, the Supreme Court unanimously ruled that EU fishermen had to ask Oslo permission to catch snow crab.

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