Russia Says Fishing Vessel Seizure is Economic Warfare

A fisheries official in Moscow lashed out Friday at the seizure of a Russian trawler by Senegal’s authorities, calling it an act of economic warfare over natural resources perpetrated by foreign powers, APA reports quoting RIA Novosti.

Andrei Krainy, the head of the Russian Fisheries Agency, said the detention of the Oleg Naidenov vessel was provoked by rivalry from the European Union and China.

”Our colleagues, partners and competitors don’t like that Russia is actively returning to Africa after the collapse of the Soviet Union,“ Krainy said.

The Oleg Naidenov and its crew were detained earlier this week by military forces in the West African nation on suspicion of illegal fishing.

The ship is under guard in the...