The case in summary: Norsk Industri paid for former managing director Stein Lier-Hansen and his guests to use exclusive hunting grounds and a small hunting lodge on Hardangervidda. The transport to the area took place by seaplane, which cost approximately NOK 2.3 million. From 2015 to 2023, 129 landings on Dargesjåen have been logged, with Lier-Hansen’s name on the landing permit. Motor traffic in the national park is strictly regulated, but there is no limit on the number of trips to fly meat out of the area. Norsk Industri has now hired PwC to carry out an extensive investigation of Lier-Hansen’s spending. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAi. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. All motor traffic on Hardangervidda must be strictly regulated. This means that there is a limit to the number of times aircraft are allowed to land in the area. For a number of years, Norsk Industri paid for retired CEO Stein Lier-Hansen and his guests to use exclusive hunting grounds and a small hunting cabin. The employer’s organization also paid around NOK 2.3 million for transport by seaplane, according to the board. It was E24 that mentioned the tours first. The cabin at Dargesjåen is remote on Hardangervidda, around six hours’ walk from the beaten track. A good alternative appeared to be a seaplane. For the years 2015 to 2023, 129 landings on Dargesjåen have been logged, according to figures news has obtained from the Supervisory Committee for Hardangervidda – Telemark. On the landing permit, Stein Lier-Hansen’s name is listed. news has asked Lier-Hansen to confirm the number of tours. – It takes time to check out all the details about this, he wrote in an SMS. It is the Supervisory Committee for Hardangervidda that reports on the motor traffic law, which includes flights. – In comparable hunting areas in the national park, where rural people hunt, the corresponding number of landings is much lower, says Bjørn Bjørnsen. He is secretary of the supervisory committee responsible for the Telemark part of the national park. In another nearby hunting ground, the use of aircraft is “just as intense”, according to him. Hardangervidda is Norway’s largest national park and Northern Europe’s largest high mountain plateau. The area of 8,600 square kilometers became a national park in 1981. Photo: Simon Skjelvik Brandseth news has asked Lier-Hansen several questions about the use of aircraft (see fact box). – Everything has happened in accordance with the regulations. Beyond that, I have no comment, writes Lier-Hansen to news. These are the questions for Stein Lier-Hansen news has, among other things, asked Stein Lier-Hansen these questions: Based on figures from the Supervisory Committee for Hardangervidda – Telemark, we count 129 landings on Dargesjå between 2015 and 2023. Is that correct? Based on the numbers we have received, there is a preponderance of so-called “meat watches” registered at Dargesjå these years. What is your comment on that? In the course of two months in the autumn of 2021, we see that 17 “meat clocks” were made, sometimes several days after each other. Are these tours in line with the regulations, as you see it? How many animals were transported on these trips? According to the secretary of the Supervisory Committee, “very many” trips were made in 2021 in relation to what is the transport need for meat. What is your comment? The secretary also says that “in comparable hunting areas in the national park, where there are villagers who hunt, the corresponding number of landings is much lower”. Do you have a comment on that? When they land on Dargesjå, where do they usually come from? What was a typical route? How much does a typical seaplane trip cost? Air traffic four days in a row Motor traffic in a national park is strictly regulated, both through the Act on Motor Traffic in Outback and according to the safety regulations. Sameige Maarfjell, which owns the hunting area Lier-Hansen has managed and around 13 other areas, has collective permission to land 65 times a year with air transport, to transport hunters and equipment. If a hunting team is to fly out meat from Dargesjå, however, there is no limit on the number of trips, according to the supervisory committee. Of the total of 129 landings linked to Lier-Hansen, 67 of them are registered as picking up meat. – It is left to the hunters to exercise discretion as to what is essential transport, says Bjørnsen. Hunting reindeer on Hardangervidda is exclusive. For the whole of 2021, there are 25 landings on Dargesjå linked to Lier-Hansen. The flight lists show a very busy hunting season this autumn. In the course of two months, 17 meat clocks have been registered, sometimes several days after each other. – There are a lot of trips in relation to the transport needs for meat, says Bjørnsen in the supervisory committee. Among other things, it was reported about the collection of meat at Dargesjå on 12, 15, 17, 18, 19, 20, 24, 26 and 28 September. news has calculated how much meat one can have taken on so many trips. The net average weight of a reindeer slaughter is approximately 25 kilograms (kg). According to Bjørnsen, a seaplane lifts 300-350 kg. – Felling 30 wild reindeer on a terrain of this type during one hunting season will be a good result. If it is assumed that each plane took half of the maximum payload of the 17 meat urns in total, this corresponds to around 102 animals. news has asked Lier-Hansen to comment on the high number of meat watches by plane. – It is difficult for me to comment as a number of factors determine the need for trips, based on securing the meat with regard to slaughter time, temperatures and the need to quickly get to the cold room, writes Lier-Hansen. Expands investigation After it emerged that Lier-Hansen disposed of the cabin and the area at Norsk Industri’s expense, the employers’ organization presented an overview of costs. In total, there have been costs linked to hunting and fishing, including seaplanes, of NOK 10.7 million over nine years. On Tuesday, it became known that Norsk Industri has hired PwC to carry out an extensive investigation of Lier-Hansen’s spending. On Thursday afternoon, Lier-Hansen engaged the lawyers Liv Monica Stubholt and Stian Berger Røsland from the law firm Selmer to assist him, news is informed.
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129 seaplane trips to the area – news Norway – Overview of news from various parts of the country
