National fisheries ministers from all over the world were in Oslo this week to unify in the fight against illegal fishing, estimated to be worth more than NOK 190 billion a year. Norway has played an active role in getting an agreement against illegal, unregistered and unreporting fishing into place.
“Illegal fishing poses a threat to fishing stocks and to the environment,” said Norwegian Fisheries Minister Per Sandberg. “Through stronger international cooperation we can succeed in solving the problem.”
Sandberg and State Secretary Tone Skogen of Norway’s foreign ministry hosted ministers from more than 50 countries. “I’m very satisfied that we now have in place a binding, global agreement,” Sandberg told news bureau NTB. “It will fight illegal fishing by, among other things, closing harbours to black-listed fishing vessels.”
The agreement was hammered out while Norway itself is caught up in a fishing dispute with Russian authorities, after a clerical error failed to register the trawler Remøy for shrimp fishing in Russia’s Arctic waters. The vessel remained under arrest in Murmansk this week, with Russian authorities demanding payment of around NOK 90 million in fines for illegal fishing.
newsinenglish.no staff
