HELSINKI, October 28 (RIA Novosti) - Norwegian authorities released a second Russian vessel detained in the Barents Sea for fishing violations after its owner paid bail, the deputy governor of Spitsbergen, Rune Bard Hansen, said Friday.
"I received notification from the bank that the owner of the [Kapitan Gorbachev] ship had deposited 360,000 Norwegian kronas [$56,000] into the account," Hansen said. After the payment was made, the ship was released.
The other vessel, The Dmitry Pokramovich, was released earlier Friday upon receipt of bail in the amount of 500,000 Norwegian kronas [$77,546].
The ships were detained off Medvezhy Island in the Barents Sea on charges of unauthorized fish reloading. The owners of both ships were given the choice of either paying a fine, after which the Norwegian authorities would drop the case, or paying a bail fee, which would be held until the case went to court. The court is expected to hear the case in the beginning of January and will decide whether the owners must pay the full sum.
