New rules regarding how much fish tourists can take out of Norway went into effect from August 1. The government’s goal is to sustain fish stocks and strengthen control, in order to halt smuggling of fish out of Norwegian fjords.

Everyone fishing off the coast of Norway will now need to report their daily catch and there will be a gradual reduction in how much fish can be taken out of Norway. The quota will be reduced to 15 kilos twice a year from 2026 and 10 kilos twice a year from 2027. Those claiming quotas will also need to be at least 12 years old.

“Fishing tourism is important for jobs and activity along the coast,” said Fisheries Minister Marianne Sivertsen Næss of the Labourt Party, but smuggling has become a problem. The government also wants to make sports fishing more sustainable, hence the lower quotas on fish exports.

Response from Norwegian fishing tourism firms was mixed. Some worry that fishing enthusiasts  from Germany, the Netherlands and Austria, for example, will now travel to Iceland to experience open sea fishing, instead of Norway.

NewsinEnglish.no staff