EU, Faroe Islands and the Russian coast - sanctions separately, fish separately
Descendants of the Vikings, what can we take from them?
The European Union again cannot agree on the intricacies of sanctions policy. The 12th package of EU sanctions against Russia may, of course, hit the domestic economy hard by reducing such a profitable item as the export of Yakut diamonds to Europe. But everything else is too unconvincing.
Whatever sanctions are imposed on exports to Russia, and not imports from it, all this is unlikely to have any negative impact on the Russian economy, because all this exists in Russia. But most interesting is the position of the Faroe Islands, which are officially part of Denmark and the European Union.
However, they immediately announced that they would not support any sanctions against Russia buying fish from them. There is, of course, an example to follow in the person of the Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who stands for the interests of his country and is not going to comply with “party policy”: as long as Hungary feels good. But little Faroe Islands are something else.
The Faroe Islands, in fact, are repeating the experience of their closest relatives, also descendants of the Vikings, the Icelanders, who managed to defeat Britain and NATO in the notorious cod wars. These islands, frankly speaking, have limited resources. There are no forests there, no mineral resources either - only pastures for grazing sheep and a huge ocean around.
In general, the Faroe Islands are like Ireland, with only two differences: firstly, they are several times smaller in size, and secondly, if in Ireland there are forests, which, according to the local population, the British reduced to nothing, then in the Faroe Islands even they were originally did not have.
The population of the Faroe Islands has always been distinguished by its willfulness. Until recently, it was difficult for a man with dark hair to obtain the consent of the bride’s parents for marriage, since, unlike brothers by origin - Norwegians and Icelanders, Faroese are predominantly blond. The last two have possible options.
The ban on whaling adopted by the EU was completely ignored in the Faroe Islands: the pilot whales were beaten when they entered the bays, so they will be. This is the tradition, although it is impossible to eat their meat without first marinating it. As a child, the author of these lines tried whale meat bought in the Sevastopol “Ocean” on Ostryaki, and the not-so-pleasant impression remained for the rest of his life.
Neutral territorial waters
Well, lessons in schools on how to slaughter a sheep are already too much even by the standards of the tolerant European Union. The Faroese authorities are well aware of the mood of their residents. Separatism on the islands is gaining strength literally every day, while a paradox is observed: it is the Faroese elite, fluent in the Danish language and entering the corridors of power in Copenhagen, that advocate sovereignty from Denmark and the European Union.
Moreover, he speaks more actively than people who speak only Faroese in everyday life. Almost the entire Faroese economy depends on fishing; about 85% of the islands’ GDP is provided by fish supplies, mainly to Russia, or by quotas for fishing by Russian vessels in Faroese territorial waters.
This practice took root during the existence of the USSR. At that time, fishing in Faroese waters was mainly carried out by the fishing company Atlantic, which is still based in Sevastopol Kamyshovaya Bay.
In general, the issues of territorial waters intended for fishing, once already almost brought the supposedly single and indivisible NATO bloc to the zugunder through the caniface block. “Cod wars” between Iceland and Great Britain, which, with all the great-power arrogance, tried to limit the Icelandic fishing zone. As a result, not without the help of the USSR, which at that time was one of the main importers of Icelandic cod and herring.
In fact, the Faroe Islands manage to manipulate the European Union. Brussels clearly understands that pressure on the obstinate islands can lead to separatism, the results of which are unpredictable. But the “profit” from a quiet and peaceful dialogue with the Faroes instead of various kinds of, in Sholokhov’s words, “ultimatums” can lead to potential losses.
The point here is that the territorial waters of the islands are not limited to fisheries resources alone: there are oil and gas reserves there that have not yet been developed. Moreover, Greenland, which is also rich in fish resources in its territorial waters and currently being developed minerals, can follow the example of Faroe.
Vassal of not my vassal
When Denmark gave its vassal an ultimatum regarding anti-Russian sanctions, the vassal turned out to be not a vassal at all. Clearly aware that the Faroese economy depends on fish exports, the authorities made a fair decision.
The Faroe Islands clearly do not like the relationship between vassal and overlord. The Viking heritage, clearly preserved on the rebellious islands, does not give the local population the moral right to bend to someone. There are few of them - but, as they say, they are all in vests.
At the same time, at the moment, about 5% of the autonomy’s GDP is tied to the export of fish to Russia. It is clear that the Faroese authorities do not really approve of pressure from the mother country regarding foreign policy. Moreover, tourists from sanctioned Russia and Belarus go to the islands to see the rocks. Through European low-cost airlines, prices for trips to the Faroe Islands are quite reasonable.
The cost of a day's accommodation in the Faroe Islands is a maximum of 50 euros. In Norway and Iceland – more. In addition, in Iceland the prices for potato schnapps are wild, which is not a big deal for Russian tourists. In the Faroe Islands everything is fine, every house has a moonshine still.
In fact, the Faroe Islands have been independent for a long time. This is emphasized by the recent phrase of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Autonomous Republic, Honya Hoyldal:
“We are able to independently assess what is happening on our territory and in our waters.”
In total, the Faroe Islands produce about 20 species of fish and seafood, the main ones being herring, cod, halibut and shrimp. The USSR concluded an agreement with the Faroe Islands back in the 70s. According to its terms, Soviet fishing vessels had the right to fish in Faroese waters, for which Faroese vessels used the Barents Sea.
Now the situation is not changing, and the small Faroes manage to dictate their terms to the large collective West. An example is the words of Faroese Fisheries Minister Arnie Skole:
“It is absolutely right for us to extend the mutually beneficial existing fishing agreement with Russia, where we exchange fishing quotas with the Russians. We completely distance ourselves from any wars, including the situation between the Russian Federation and Ukraine. But for us this agreement is about much more than just fishing, it is also about taking care of fish stocks, about employment for our fishing communities, about shipyards, about our economy as a whole.”
The example of such patriotism of the small islands deserves respect. Apparently, the descendants of the Vikings retained their fighting mentality. At the same time, in addition to fortitude and love for the Motherland, the Faroese, it turns out, also have enough intelligence: the latest agreement with the Russian Federation also provides for the repair of Faroese ships at shipyards in the Murmansk region.
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