[QUOTE=DeckApe;185529]For a proud example of Nordic protectionism wiki ‘Cod Wars’ (Iceland) and to a far lesser degree wiki ‘fisheries case’ (Norway). The Cod Wars are a fine example of how a Nordic nation defended their seafaring citizen’s livelihoods against foreigners who would destroy it. Or google ‘Norway protectionism’. Norwegians, too, are guilty of looking out for their own (as they should!).
What I’m getting at is our Nordic brethren are guilty of selective memory as it suits them. Some of them just don’t want to admit it.
There isn’t much difference in saying foreigners can’t fish in their waters to saying foreigners can’t drill in ours.[/QUOTE]
Foreigners are fishing in Norwegian waters. Nothing wrong with that, as long as they have the necessary permits, quota and follow the rules. I believe the same applies, or at least did apply, to Russians vessels fishing in Alaskan waters and v.v.
As for drilling, there are a lot of foreign Oil companies with concessions and production in US waters. The rigs that is drilling there are technically foreign as well, many owned by Drilling Contractors with American origin and operating HQ, but nominally foreign, with their legal HQ in Switzerland, UK, Irland, UAE & you name it.
Fish that swims within the EEZ, oil, gas and minerals found on or below the seabed, belongs to the coastal state.
But that state has the right to sell concessions, or fishing permits, to anybody they want. They can also allow the concession holder to use foreign vessels and crew to exploit those resources. Most countries do.
Many small island nation has this as their main source of income. American tuna boats fish in waters “leased” this way, as does the Japanese, Koreans, Taiwanese etc.
Some don’t bother to buy permits, since these small countries does not have the resources to patrol their EEZ.
We can go on finding something wrong with each other for a long time. There is no limit to what is wrong with everybody else.
