British fishermen 'bullied' out of ancestral waters by Norwegian wind company – 'Just diabolical!'

British fishermen have been forced to leave their traditional fishing grounds for a fortnight by a Norwegian wind company.

A High Court ruling has affected 21 fishermen along the Norfolk coast as the Norwegian energy company Equinor conducts surveys for wind farm cable routes.

The fishermen, whose families have worked these waters across multiple generations, discovered last Friday that legal action had been taken against them upon arriving at their vessels to find court notices attached by the company.

Equinor is seeking to survey areas where cables will transport electricity from planned extensions to the Sheringham Shoal and Dudgeon offshore wind farms.

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The company described the court action as a "last resort" following unsuccessful negotiations with the North Norfolk Fishermen's Society during April and May.

John Davies, the society's chairman and a 60-year-old whose family has fished these waters for eight generations, condemned the company's conduct in stark terms.

He told The Times: "It's diabolical. They've given us very little leeway and no respect whatsoever. We're just a little cog in their wheel that needs to be pushed out of their way and we're being bullied."

Mr Davies accused Equinor of having "railroaded" the fishing community into abandoning the area without clarifying what compensation they might receive.

He said: "We've fished that ground for generations and now this Norwegian company is telling us we've got to move.

"Now, we want renewable energy and all that sort of thing, but it's just diabolical."

Fishermen have been instructed to leave their equipment in the water, amid uncertainty about whether Equinor will remove it.

Mr Davies added: "It's ridiculous. We're not even allowed to go and retrieve our crab and lobster pots. How we're supposed to go on making a living without our pots, I don't know."

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He warned that catches left trapped for a fortnight would suffer, explaining that at this time of year, the shellfish would fight and kill one another inside the pots.

The exclusion order also threatens to spark tensions within the fishing community, as those affected may be forced to set their equipment in areas traditionally worked by neighbouring fishermen.

The court will consider extending the ban on July 1 should Equinor require additional time.

Equinor argued the survey work was "essential" to identify unexploded ordnance along the route where cables will bring power ashore from the turbine extensions.

A spokesman said: "As a last resort the project sought legal support to allow the safe operation of survey work, issuing a letter before action prior to any further legal proceedings.

"We are disappointed to have had to resort to legal support on this issue. The project remains committed to working constructively with the local fishing community to agree a practical way forward."

Steff Aquarone, the Liberal Democrat MP for North Norfolk, added: "I am really alarmed by the speed at which this Norwegian giant has taken a group of mostly independent fishers straight to the High Court.

"It's pretty heavy-handed. Although I want to see wind farms built, I am on the side of the fishermen on this one."

The wind farm extensions will double existing capacity, generating electricity for an additional 785,000 homes.

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