Peaceful Norwegians and the Seal War

2024 Author: Seth Attwood | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 15:55

In April 1920, a whole armada of Norwegian fishing vessels entered the territorial waters of the RSFSR in an organized manner (from Murmansk to Arkhangelsk) and began … They beat whales and seals in the White Sea Throat, had the audacity to enter even the mouth of the Northern Dvina. They beat not only the adults, but also the white squirrel. Pregnant females were beaten. They robbed the Pomors.

The Northern Fleet did not yet exist at that time, and Russia could respond to this insolent robbery only with notes of protest, which the peaceful and kind neighbors simply ignored.

In 1921, the government of the RSFSR issued an order on the detention of poachers, the confiscation of poaching vessels, gear and catch, and the prosecution of poachers.

And when in 1921 the descendants of the Vikings again showed up to plunder the coast, the boats of the Soviet border guard detained several Norwegian ships.

And what did our "good neighbor" do?

The Norwegian Foreign Ministry sent a note to the RSFSR Foreign Ministry (and in fact an ultimatum) with the requirement to urgently eliminate the concept of "territorial waters"and to shift the borders of the RSFSR to the south, along the very coastal edge of the White and Barents Seas. No more and no less.

On this, the Norwegian authorities considered the incident settled and in 1922 sent their flotilla back to "fishing". And what was the righteous indignation when the border guards detained several fishing schooners! They announced to these Russians that these were their seas! The stupid barbarians should have been taught a lesson.

In 1923, together with the fishing squadron, on a friendly visit, the battleship Heimdal showed up, which, absolutely peacefully, opened fire from large-caliber guns at the Soviet border boats. This year, the fighters for the ecosystem frolicked heartily - they killed more than 900,000 seals alone. They beat both kids and adults. They stuffed so much that they could not take everything to their ships.

Experts say that the population of the White Sea seal has not recovered since then.

On the note of protest from the USSR, an answer was received that says a lot about the neighbors:

Norway has led and will continue to fish where it needs to be.

In 1924, the USSR, in order to reduce the escalation of the conflict, was forced to sign an agreement on hunting and the introduction of quotas. That year, only 90 ships came - after the pogrom of 1923, there was nothing special to trade. Perhaps for this reason, there were several subsequent calm years. No forays.

In 1928, a whole squadron again entered the Soviet territorial waters, in violation of the treaty signed in 1924. Accordingly, the Norwegians have forgotten the agreed quotas. I suspect that forgetfulness is their national trait.

Border guards detained several fishing schooners and Norway threatened that two British battleships would come with a fishing brigade next year. From which we can conclude that the British side was also interested in this pogrom.

The year 1929 was marked by conventionally small poaching raids from Norwegian neighbors, and in 1930 the invasion happened again. And again they beat seals, walruses, polar bears and, with special pleasure, plundered the Pomors along the entire coast and on the islands. The year 1931 was the same.

As many as seven Soviet border boats could do nothing about this armada. However, they were arrested and confiscated to the best of their ability.

In 1932, the "fishermen" came under the cover of a brand new frigate "Fridtjof Nansen" built specifically for the plunder of our territorial waters, which became famous for its well-aimed fire on Soviet border boats and Soviet fishing vessels.

The guys came "for the fish" in 1933 too. Only this time it was not entirely successful. That year, the construction of the infamous Belomor-Baltic Canal was almost completed. It was along this channel that several destroyers, several patrol ships and a few submarines came from the Baltic to the northern seas. In 1933, the construction of coastal batteries on the shores of the Varangians chosen by the descendants for plundering the seas was completed.

There is no reliable information about the events of that year. Only rumors. Allegedly, three Norwegian battleships "went to look for the bottom" in the White Sea. Some fishing vessels were sunk. Moreover, they said that the Pomors cruelly dealt with the poachers who managed to get to the coast. But these are just rumors. There is no one to confirm or deny them.

However, in 1934, the Norwegians did not even try to approach the Soviet territorial waters.