Maritime Espionage: Belgian Authorities Suspect Five Non-Military Vessels in the Belgian North Sea Over the Last 6 Months

Over the past six months, at least five non-military vessels have sailed through the Belgian North Sea, suspected by Belgian security services of being involved in maritime espionage activities.

Belgian Maritime Security Unit also considers it plausible that a large Russian fishing vessel may have been involved in a recent sabotage incident of an underwater cable off the coast of Finland.

However, concrete evidence is lacking, and the implicated shipping company denies involvement.

“In the last half-year, there have been at least five merchant ships or fishing vessels that we suspect of being more than meets the eye,” said Thomas De Spiegelaere, spokesperson for the Maritime Security Cell to VRT NWS.

“Today, espionage is harder to detect. Whereas research vessels or military ships were primarily used in the past, we now more frequently observe non-military vessels.”

“These could be merchant ships or at least they appear to be merchant ships. They could also be fishing vessels. This makes detection much more challenging. However, we notice that they suddenly start sailing more slowly.”

Belgian cabinet of Minister of Justice and North Sea, Paul Van Tigchelt (Open VLD), confirms this trend. “For example, Chinese dredging vessels have a dual status and can be used for both economic and military purposes. This, of course, complicates detection.”

“Recently, the Maritime Information Center (MIK) identified fishing vessels in the Irish Sea sailing over or fishing near submarine cables,” the cabinet added.

Questioning Dutch Imports: Russian Fish and Suspected Spy Ships

The Belgian North Sea is not the only area where suspected spy ships pass through. The Dutch investigative program, Pointer, questions the large amounts of fish imported by the Netherlands from Russia.

Recent research shows that the Netherlands is a major hub for the import and distribution of Russian fish across Europe.

Pointer obtained figures from the Dutch Central Bureau for Statistics: in 2022, the country imported fish worth €184 million from Russia. Only a small portion – €24 million worth – is for domestic consumption. The rest is for transit to destinations such as Southern Europe, Germany, or China.

While it’s unclear how significant their contribution is, a portion of that fish is caught by the Russian fishing company Norebo.

This fish enters the Netherlands through ports like Eemshaven, located around 600 meters from a military site, or Velsen.

But Norebo is not without controversy. It’s a Russian fishing company with over 40 ships, primarily fishing vessels. These fish for cod and pollock in the Norwegian Sea, the Barents Sea, or the Pacific Ocean. One of the company’s founders is oligarch Vitalii Orlov, also known as ‘the fish king’ in Russian media.

However, these fishing vessels may not only be engaged in fishing activities.

Norebo

For instance, a Norebo fishing vessel – the Taurus – was previously associated with espionage. Investigations revealed that the fishing boat made “unusual” movements at the end of 2022, coinciding with the appearance of American submarines.

“Norebo is indeed a large Russian shipping company,” confirms Belgian Maritime Security Unit. “They have several modern and very large fishing vessels that primarily operate in the north or the Baltic Sea. These ships are certainly known and monitored by us.”

“They have large and modern ships that are frequently mentioned in connection with espionage,” confirms Van Tigchelt’s cabinet.

But why suspect a fishing boat of espionage?

For that, we need to go back in time. In July 2022, Russia released its new “maritime doctrine,” outlining Moscow’s sea ambitions.

Fishing and Espionage

The documents emphasise the importance of fishing and shipyards for Russia’s military strategy. Points 84 and 85 in part 7 of the doctrine summarise it well. Civilian ships and their crews are of “strategic importance for increasing maritime readiness.”

“Civilian ships are pre-adapted, and the crew is trained to serve in wartime. And in peacetime, all fishing vessels, transport ships, and specialized ships may be used by the armed forces of the Russian Federation.”

In summary, even Russian fishing boats can be at the Kremlin’s disposal at any time.

Captain Sokolov

An example of a ship sailing under the Norebo flag and previously spotted in the North Sea is the Captain Sokolov, according to the Maritime Security Cell.

“That is one of the largest ships of this company,” said De Spiegelaere. “It is a ship with a lot of technology on board, which can be used for both fishing and possibly espionage activities.”

Possible Maritime Incidents and Suspected Involvement: Recent Developments in the Baltic Sea

Both Van Tigchelt’s cabinet and the Maritime Security Unit refer to a recent incident in the Baltic Sea where the Chinese ship Newnew Polar Bear – whether accidentally or not – damaged a gas pipeline. “Shortly before, there was a Russian ship making suspicious movements in the area. There is no hard evidence, but these are indications of suspicious behavior.”

The Maritime Security Unit indicates that the Captain Sokolov may have been involved, but there is still no evidence. This is not immediately apparent from an analysis of the ship’s AIS data. These are GPS signals that every ship must transmit and are available online.

Challenges and Responses to Maritime Espionage: International Regulations, Collaborative Efforts, and Controversies Surrounding Allegations

Dealing with espionage beyond territorial waters is not straightforward because there is no international regulation for it. Outside 12 nautical miles from the coast, the freedom of navigation applies.

“There are various EU and national rules prescribing measures to protect infrastructure against espionage,” say security services. “We try to identify as many spy ships as possible in advance. Our ports are also protected against possible espionage.”

This week, NATO expressed its concern about the increasing hybrid warfare coming from Russia.

It is not the first time suspicions have arisen about espionage from Russian quarters. There have been repeated indications recently that Russian ships have quietly lingered near infrastructure in the North Sea, possibly for espionage purposes.

Recently, six North Sea countries, including Belgium, decided to collaborate more closely to better secure the energy and telecommunications infrastructure in our waters.

At present, there are no European sanctions on the import of fish from Russia, confirms Belgian Federal Public Service Finance. “There is a restriction on the import of shellfish from Russia.”

Asked whether such sanctions should be imposed to protect our security, Van Tigchelt’s cabinet responds that such a decision must be considered at the EU level.

In a response to the question from Pointer’s journalists, Norebo states that it is not involved in espionage activities in Belgian ports. “Norebo, its group companies, and employees have never been, are not, and will not be involved in espionage or similar activities,” a spokesperson replied.

“Such accusations are fantasy and border on populist paranoia,” they added. “Norebo is solely engaged in the production and supply of seafood for human consumption.”

There is no hard evidence, although it is striking that they are named as ‘possibly involved’ by the Belgian government.

Source photo: VK.com