Norway Detains Reefer Cargo Ship for Investigation into Cable Damage
The latest vessel to be detained in the growing investigations into damaged cables in the Baltic is a Norwegian-owned reefer cargo ship used in the fish trade. Norwegian police confirmed in a briefing this morning that they directed the vessel, the Silver Dania, into the port of Tromsø and are now aboard searching the vessel and interviewing the Russian crew.
The police reported that they were acting on a court request from Latvian authorities which made the application to Norway to stop the vessel and launch the investigation. Speaking at a press briefing on Friday, January 31, the Troms Police District said it had responded to the court order while noting the vessel is one of several currently being investigated.
Latvia suspects the Norwegian ship may have had a role in the damage discovered on Sunday, January 26, to a fiber optic cable owned by Latvia’s state radio and TV company. The cable runs between Ventspils, Latvia and the Swedish Gotland island. Sweden earlier in the week also detained a Bulgarian-owned bulker Vezhen accusing the vessel of dragging its anchor and damaging the cable.
The Silver Dania is a 5,300 dwt reefer cargo ship built in 1989 and operating at least since 2019 for the Norwegian company Silver Sea. The vessel is registered in Norway and is operated by a crew of 11 Russian nationals. Silver Sea started in 2000 and operates a fleet of 11 reefer vessels as well as support ships and two Arctic containerships.
The Norwegian police reported that a Norwegian Coast Guard vessel intercepted the cargo ship Thursday night while it was sailing along the northern Norwegian coast. They said it was on a trip from St. Petersburg to Murmansk. Friday morning, the Norwegian Coast Guard vessel KV Bison escorted the Silver Dania to a dock in Tromsø.
The owner of Silver Sea Tormod Fossmark was quick to make a statement denying any involvement in the cable incident. He asserted the vessel was sailing at a constant speed of 13 knots near Gotland and did not drop its anchor. He said the crew was well-known to the company and had been working for it for years.
Fossmark told the Norwegian media, “We did nothing wrong. The Norwegian authorities have brought us into port to clear up any involvement.”
The police commander during a briefing confirmed that the vessel and crew were cooperating and had come into port voluntarily. He said the police were aboard to search the ship, conduct interviews, and secure any clues to the activity.
The Baltic countries remain on heightened alert and with the support of NATO increased their patrols to guard vital undersea infrastructure. This is at least the fourth recent incident involving damage to undersea cables.