High Court clears Fisheries and Transport Authority in case against Thor and BankNordik

The Fisheries and Transport Authority has been cleared of charges by the High Court.

A ruling was made yesterday in the High Court, where the Fisheries and Transport Authority prevailed in a case against the companies Thor and BankNordik.

The case originated in the courts in 2014, tied to the deep-sea trawler Phoenix, owned by P/F Thor, which was denied a trial permit to fish for salmon using a small mesh trawl.

In late 2008, the test fishing for salmon was adjusted, resulting in a reduction of fishing permits from three to two in 2009 based on recommendations from the Marine Research Institute.

After facing financial difficulties in 2008 that led to its operational shutdown, BankNordik purchased the trawler at a forced sale and subsequently sold it to Thor the following year.

Before the forced sale, the Phoenix, along with two other vessels, had received trial permits to fish for salmon.

Thor applied for a trial permit for salmon fishing for 2010, but this request was denied by the Ministry of Fisheries.

In response, Thor and BankNordik filed a lawsuit against the Ministry.

The compensation claim from the two companies against the Ministry reached around six million Danish kroner.

The High Court has now confirmed that the Ministry’s decision to reduce the number of permits from three to two was justified and that the decision to deny the permit for the Phoenix was also valid.

Consequently, there was no basis to impose compensation on the Ministry.

The High Court upheld the previous ruling made by the Faroese Court on March 16 of last year.

Thor and BankNordik are required to pay the Ministry of Fisheries 130,000 kroner in legal costs within 14 days.

The trawler Phoenix is currently docked in Esbjerg, where it has remained for several years.