Norwegian waters brimming with cod

This winter’s cod haul in Norway is predicted to break all records, and the Barents Sea is brimming with the fish. The fishing industry, however, fears that without an increase in demand, cod prices may drop, and they have embarked on a global hunt for new consumers. The North East Arctic cod stock, the largest [...]

Cost cuts propel Hurtigruten’s move

Another round of cost-cutting is behind an impending move by Hurtigruten, the coastal passenger and cargo shipping line, to a new, consolidated head office in Tromsø. Hurtigruten will be leaving Narvik after 100 years, affecting the jobs of around 140 employees. Hurtigruten sent a message to the Oslo Stock Exchange late last week saying that [...]

Russian relations ‘not the same’

After years of political pride and satisfaction over Norway’s close relations with its large neighbour to the east, concerns are now rising in the Norwegian foreign ministry. “Russia has changed” during the latest term of President Vladimir Putin, according to Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide. “We must acknowledge that the role of civilian society [...]

‘Magical’ oil man turns sights north

The new chief executive of the Norwegian operations for Dutch oil company Shell says the company is keen to expand oil and gas exploration in both the Barents and Norwegian Sea. Tor Arnesen, who cultivates a passion for performing as a magician in his spare time, calls the area “very exciting and interesting.” Arnesen, who [...]

New conflicts gush over oil drilling

Just a day after the winner of this year’s Rafto Prize warned in Bergen that oil companies are “destroying lives” with environmentally irresponsible drilling, comes news that another of Norway’s major trade union organizations wants drilling to start off Norway’s own scenic Lofoten as early as next year. Conflicts over oil exploration and production are [...]

Cracks emerge in Tromsø bridge

The large bridge spanning the water from the island where the city of Tromsø is located towards the mainland needs major maintenance work. It’s suffering from, among other things, rust and cracks in its concrete construction, reports local newspaper iTromsø. Engineer Olaf Sandnes of the state highway department Statens vegvesen told iTromsø that some of [...]

Cross-border trade in reverse, in Northern Norway

While Norwegians stream over the border, especially in southern Norway, to take advantage of lower prices in Sweden, the cross-border trade in the far north is the reverse: Russian citizens shuttle back and forth to Kirkenes, to stock up on goods they can’t get at home. Newspaper Aftenposten reported recently that traffic over the border [...]

US admits to radiation incident

The Norwegian military reported on Tuesday that the US Navy had now confirmed that one of its vessels emitted radiation that injured crew members on board a Norwegian vessel while both were taking part in exercises in the Arctic last summer. “The American authorities have confirmed to us that they are responsible for what happened,” [...]

Boine supports harassed Sami woman

Mari Boine, one of Norway’s most respected musicians, went on national TV this week to speak out against an ugly incident of harassment against a fellow Sami woman in Trondheim over the weekend. Such discrimination must not be tolerated, Boine told Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK) on its nightly TV newscast Dagsrevy. The incident outside a bar [...]

Foreign spies target the Arctic

Norwegian and Danish authorities are reporting increased spying activity in their Arctic areas. Foreign countries are anxious to secure themselves a position in the region, with new travel routes and access to natural resources at stake. Newspaper Aftenposten reported this week that foreign spies are using established and new methods to illegally gain information on [...]

Minister orders reindeer slaughter

Norway’s agriculture minister wants to slaughter nearly 40,000 more reindeer in the country’s most northerly county of Finnmark as quickly as possible. He claims there’s not enough grass for the animals to graze on, and reducing the size of the herds is the best way to save the industry. Trygve Slagsvold Vedum, who’s recently caught [...]

Statoil boss scoffs at debate over oil

While things keep looking up  for Norway’s booming offshore oil and gas industry, debate is also rising over what that means for mainland industry and the environment. Statoil boss Helge Lund was among those scoffing at the debate, as Norway’s financial elite gathered at a prestigious meeting in Oslo this week. “In other countries, a [...]

US Navy to probe radiation incident

The US Navy has denied that one of its vessels exposed crew members on board a nearby Norwegian Coast Guard ship to radiation during military exercises in the Arctic last month. A Navy official said the incident would, however, be investigated further. Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK) has reported that the incident occurred on August 24, when [...]

Nordic foreign and defense ministers gather in Bodø

For the first time ever, both the foreign ministers and defense ministers of the five Nordic countries were gathering this weekend for a joint meeting, and it was taking place September 2-3 in the northern Norwegian city of Bodø. Norway’s own foreign minister, Jonas Gahr Støre, said the meeting was a reflection of how the [...]

App tips about Northern Lights

An observatory located on the northern Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard has started offering a free “app” (application) that sends out predictions on appearances of nordlys (the Northern Lights). The app, sponsored by the Norwegian research council (Norges Forskningsråd), allows everyone with a so-called “smart telephone” to gain access to the Northern Lights forecasts issued by [...]

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