A Tromso fishing vessel caught 200kg of halibut and a 7,800-ton US submarine in its net.
A US nuclear submarine became entangled in a fishing net off Norway’s northern coast, creating a memorable story for a local fisherman but destroying his halibut catch.
The Oygutt, a Tromso-based fishing vessel, hauled in approximately 200 kg of halibut on Monday morning. After resetting its nets, Captain Harald Engen unexpectedly caught a 7,800-ton missile submarine.
“We were returning to the Sommaroya fish farm when the Coast Guard contacted us,” Engen told Norwegian broadcaster NRK. “A submarine had become entangled in our halibut net, dragging it two nautical miles north.”
Only a buoy remained; the net was lost. “The net is at the bottom of the sea,” 22-year-old Engen added. “It’s gone, and we’ll likely never recover it.”
Coast Guard spokesperson Kenneth Dahl confirmed the submarine encounter to NRK.
Norwegian media identified the submarine as the USS Virginia, a nuclear-powered fast-attack submarine armed with cruise missiles. The US Navy stated it was in Tromso to “deter and defend against the increasingly complex security environment of the High North.”
The 115-meter submarine’s propellers became entangled on Monday; the incident wasn’t publicly acknowledged by the US Navy or Norwegian media for a couple of days.
Lieutenant Pierson Hawkins, a spokesperson for the US 6th Fleet, told Business Insider the incident is under investigation, declining to confirm the vessel’s identity.
“I’ve heard of other vessels snagging nets, but never a submarine,” Engen told NRK, anticipating sharing the story at the local pub.
While harboring no ill will towards the Americans, Engen hopes to have his equipment replaced. Hawkins explained that “when the US is responsible for damage to civilian equipment, there’s a claims process for reimbursement.”
Norway, a NATO founding member, shares an Arctic border with Russia. The US Navy frequently deploys vessels to the region, citing Russian naval activity as the reason.