Sustainability
Norway has a thousand-year tradition of fish and fishing. Not so unusual, considering that Norway’s coastline is over 83,000 km – islands included!
Photographer: NSEC - Jean Gaumy
Traditional fishing in Lofoten.
Fish do not concern themselves with national borders as they swim the oceans and therefore Norway relies on good, close contact with other nations for effective management of fish stocks. Norway’s marine administration area extends to almost 2 million square kilometres of ocean, 6-7 times Norway’s total land mass. Many of the fish stocks in these waters are shared with neighbouring countries and fishing them must be regulated accordingly. Norway has fishing agreements in place with the EU, Russia, the Faeroe Islands, Iceland and Greenland.
Quotas
Each year, quotas are agreed for the various species of fish together with a set of rules governing fish catches. The Norwegian quota for each type of fish is set in accordance with the recommendations of the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) and in consultation with other countries. The quota is then allocated between fleets, boat groupings, tackle groupings etc. Fishing is regulated so as to prevent over-fishing and catching of small fish, and in order to preserve the ecosystem. Through the Directorate of Fisheries, the Fisheries and Coastal Department regulates both participation in the fishing industry and actual fishing practise.
Photographer: Jean Gaumy
Norway controls how much fishing takes place, both at sea and when vessels of both Norwegian and foreign origin land their catches at Norwegian ports. At the same time, Norway is working hard to implement greater collaboration over control of landings at foreign ports.
Research
Norway attaches great importance to research. An extensive knowledge of species of fish, the marine environment and the interplay between the species is of vital importance. Traditionally, Norway has managed fish stocks in Norwegian waters well and takes measures to ensure that fishing is practised in a good, sustainable manner. Research into marine resources, the marine environment and aquacultural practises is carried out by the Institute of Marine Research, which is principally responsible for advising the authorities, society and the fishing industry on issues concerning the ecosystems in the Barents Sea, the Norwegian Sea, the North Sea and within aquaculture.
Sustainable harvest
The Norwegian fishing industry is based on long-term, sustainable harvesting. For instance, grids in trawls help avoid catching fish under a given size. The biggest challenge facing the fishing industry today is that of illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. Over 30 per cent (101,000 tonnes) of the total cod catch in the Barents Sea comes under this category. Norway administers enormous areas of ocean and operates a very large fishing fleet, and the country has one of the best monitoring operations in place in the world. The coastguard plays an important role in controlling fishing catches in Norwegian waters.