Russian trawler "Scarcard" is arrested in Norway

The Norwegian court arrested the Russian fishing vessel "Scarrus" , owned by the Murmansk company "Scythian Marin" .

At the end of January of this year, the crew of the vessel, while in the port of the Norwegian city of Kirkenes, announced a strike , and three crew members - a hunger strike, due to the fact that the shipowner owed their wages about 70 thousand US dollars.

According to Valentin Balashov, the head of the regional department of the fishing industry, the situation was complicated by the fact that none of the crew members, including the captain of the ship, had labor agreements or other documents confirming the right to receive wages. “In fact, all agreements were oral,” the official noted.

At the same time, the shipowner promised to completely pay off the debt to the fishermen by selling his second ship - Rustavi , who is in Spain.

On Thursday, Balashov told RIA Novosti by phone that the shipowner is in Moscow, where he is engaged in the sale of Rustavi. "According to available information, to date, he paid small advances from $ 500 to $ 1,000 to members of the crew, the remaining money will be paid after the sale in Spain," Rustavi, "he said.

The Norwegian fishermen trade union stood up to defense of Russian colleagues. “The Norwegian trade union filed a lawsuit to the court that was satisfied. The other day, Norwegian bailiffs and representatives of the Kirkenes police, who seized the main ship documents, without which Balashov said, climbed on board the vessel.

He specified that three crew members remain on board the ship - the captain, the senior mechanic and the motorist. The rest of the fishermen returned to Murmansk. According to Balashov, the situation can develop in two directions. "Norwegian legislation allows the trade union to put up the arrested vessel for sale, but before that the trade union must pay the salary of the Russian crew. The trade union will reimburse the costs from the funds received from the sale, will return the remaining amount to the shipowner," Balashov explained. He noticed that such a practice in Norway already exists. The second option, Balashov called the sale by the shipowner of the Rustavi vessel himself and paying off debts to fishermen.

“Now it all depends on which side will act faster,” he said. Balashov added that so far no official documents on the arrest of Scarus were received by a shipowner or the department.