– I have been diving in the Saltstraumen for 14 years and have been continuously picking up sinkers, but it was the first time I got stuck in this way. That’s what Fredric Ihrsen tells us. He runs an adventure company that takes divers into the powerful maelstrom. For a number of years, he and other divers have picked up everything from sinkers to hooks to fishing lines that have come down from the surface. A week ago, Ihrsen had an unpleasant experience when he was cleaning underwater. – There was a hook that was extra tight, so I grabbed a little extra. And suddenly the hook went through the diving glove and into the finger. A small sting from a rusty drain at the bottom of the Saltstraumen led to this inflamed finger and admission to hospital. Photo: Private Ihrsen braved the initial pain, but after the dive it was time to go to the emergency room. By then the finger had swollen up, and he was referred to the hospital and to the emergency room. The rusty hook led to a violent inflammation, a purple, swollen finger and great pain. – It ended with a stay at Nordlandssykehuset from Saturday to Tuesday, with intravenous antibiotics four times a day, he says. Now the Nature Conservation Association believes it is time for a ban on fishing in parts of the Saltstraumen. Larger protected areas That’s what Pernille Bonnevie Hansen, deputy chairperson of the Nature Conservation Association, says. She says it is a shame that rubbish piles up in the marine conservation area. – We do not take good enough care of the life in the sea. The provisions are not strict enough. Fishing is permitted, and there is nothing to prevent fishing gear from drifting into the area. We need larger conservation areas. Pernille Hansen is deputy chairperson of the Nature Conservancy. Photo: Fartein Rudjord The Saltstraumen in Bodø is one of the world’s strongest maelstroms and a tourist attraction. Hansen emphasizes that you must operate with different types of protection. Not all areas must be protected from human influence. In 2016, news wrote about divers who had retrieved seven tonnes of gobblers from the depths of Saltstraumen. Now, experienced divers estimate that the figure is over 11 tonnes, and about one mile of line a year. The divers believe that the amount of used fishing gear in Saltstraumen is now so large that divers risk getting stuck. – Producers must pay for clean-up The deputy leader of the Norwegian Nature Conservation Association thinks it strange that it is taking so long to overcome the problems in Saltstraumen. – We have a prime minister who is the supreme protector of the sea. Climate panel. Climate agreement. Norway advocates for the protection of the sea. It’s strange that you don’t protect properly and don’t protect more. We have to pick up the pace, because we need it. It is becoming increasingly clear that we are in a natural crisis, says Hansen to news. What meets the diving tourists is not just corals and kelp forests. But also tons of sinkers and miles of lines. Hansen believes that parts of the problem also lie in fishing equipment that is made of plastic. Which lasts too long when it ends up in nature. – In the old days, the equipment would break down. So producers have to take some of the responsibility. Those who produce the equipment must finance the clean-up of the equipment that has gone astray. Must ensure fishing in the right places – There are shocking conditions being uncovered, says Håkon Møller. The long-standing politician is group leader at the county council in Nordland for the Green Party (MDG). Håkon Møller is group leader for MDG in Nordland. Photo: Anne Sofie Holand Fosby Below the sea surface there is a unique diversity of animal and plant life. Saltstraumen is therefore also a diver’s paradise. Møller believes that the situation in Saltstraumen must force change. – Consequences for animals have been well documented. Danger to people’s lives and health may make us wake up a little extra. Møller is calling for various forms of facilitation to ensure that fishing takes place in places that do not cause further problems. Want the state on the field – We cannot have it so that one of our most unique conservation areas should be degraded by outdoor life. There must be interaction between nature and outdoor life. We can’t have it like that here. – It is the state’s responsibility to safeguard the natural values since the government has created a marine conservation area here. Then the ministry and government must come in and look at the protection regulations and see if they are strict enough. As it is now, everything indicates that the provisions are not strict enough. – Should fishing be banned in Saltstraumen? – I see no reason to ban all fishing, but some guidelines are needed in the conservation regulations that say something about where and what type of fishing. It is possible to arrange for fishing in certain areas in the short term without changing the conservation regulations. Highlights from Saltstraumen minute by minute where they show off the lures they have picked this year, and photos from previous dives. Diver: – We cannot continue as we are today Diver Fredric Ihrsen says that the number of sinkers and lines has increased sharply in recent years. – It is frustrating that those of us who are under water have to clean up after others, while above water nothing happens. Fredric Ihrsen wants clearer regulations for fishing in Saltstraumen. Photo: Privat He calls for clearer regulations on where at Saltstraumen you are allowed to fish, and with which fishing gear. – Today, fishing is practiced along the entire Saltstraumen coastline. But around two-thirds of this cannot be dived due to too strong currents. – So the question then becomes why are you allowed to stand in these places to throw out the line?
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