This is how mighty Norway flexing its muscles against evil Russians!
The coastguard had tried to snag the trawler's propeller with a rope to force it to stop, Itar-Tass news agency quoted the Russian captain as saying, but another trawler was doing its best to thwart the Norwegian efforts.
Norway has promised not to resort to force, Russian security officials in Murmansk told Ekho Moskvy radio station. But Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere said it was a serious matter.
"We want to follow this boat, get back the Norwegian inspectors aboard and show that we don't take suspicions of illegal fishing lightly," he told Norwegian NRK radio.
Spicbergen Island (actually archipelago) is 558 north of Norwegian border. There are two small villages Russian and Norwegian there. Spicbergen or Svalbard or Spitsbergen Island is Russian property, given as a present by western powers to Norway on Feb 09, 1920, after communist revolution. According to that treaty Russians have fishing rights in that area. Spitting on Orthodox nations especially Serbs and Russians seams like popular and safe sport - at least for now.
This is illegal fishing and they know it. This boat has been doing illegal things before. Why run away with inspectors. That is for sure illegal. Nobody is spitting on anybody. Rules are Rules.