Finnmark is facing a disaster for fishermen in open groups. This is how Finnmark County Municipality describes the situation in a letter to the Storting and the government. The total Norwegian quota for cod was reduced by 20 percent from 2023 to 2024. – The 1,000 fishing vessels under eleven meters in the open group in Finnmark have experienced a formidable decrease in the available quota for fish and king crab, they write. This means that Finnmark is about to lose one billion kroner in the circular economy. The letter was sent out before the quota council for 2025 was announced. – When the quota council next year testifies to even lower quotas, it means a greater focus on the distribution of the fish we have available, says acting county mayor Heidi Holmgren (Sp). Holmgren explains that there remain major questions relating to the compulsory quota, the third country quota and the structural quota. She says the coastal communities can have a lot of fish to catch in the future distribution of fishing resources. Deputy county mayor, currently acting county mayor, Heidi Holmgren (Sp) says Finnmark must fight to get the fish back to the county. Photo: Hanne Wilhelms – These must be discussed again, and I hope there can be a majority in the Storting to ensure that these quotas benefit fishing-dependent coastal communities. – Made the right choice Freddy Kristiansen lets news on board his 36-foot fishing boat “Solheim”. Photo: Sebastian Faugstad Nine years ago, Freddy Kristiansen quit his job to follow his fishing dream. Already in his first year as a fisherman, he bought his own quota. Kristiansen thought it would give him security in the long term. Today he owns two boats with his own quotas. In total, this has cost him around NOK 23 million, but in return he has his head well above water today. If he wishes, he can sell both quotas at a good profit. – What I pay is the interest. That’s what it costs me, for the value I want to get back at least. Without the quotas, it would have been too expensive to keep his boat “Solheim”. – Today I see that fortunately I made the right choice, with certainty that I have some fish compared to group two. Båtsfjord is located 13 kilometers inside a fjord, which provides a very warm and safe harbor for fishing boats that are out at sea. Photo: Sebastian Faugstad / news Investing NOK 220 million in Båtsfjord The Quota Council for 2025 recommends that no more than 311,587 tonnes of North Austarctic cod be fished. That is more than a halving from 2022. That makes the work with distribution challenging. In Båtsfjord, the fishing industry plays an extremely important role. Around 70 per cent of the inhabitants here are employed in the private sector, and the biggest turnover is fishing, farming and processing fish. Managing Director of Lerøy Norway Seafoods, Børge Soleng, during the official reopening of the fillet factory in Båtsfjord. Photo: Sebastian Faugstad / news Lerøy recently chose to upgrade the fillet factory in the village with NOK 220 million. On the same day as the factory’s official reopening, the quota council for next year was announced. – We were prepared that 2025 could also be a challenging year. We were not fully prepared for it to possibly go as wrong as this, comments Børge Soleng, general manager of Lerøy Norway Seafoods. Factory manager Per-Gunnar Hansen tells county mayor Hans-Jacob Bønå (H) about the state-of-the-art fillet factory. Photo: Sebastian Faugstad / news Soleng nevertheless points out that Lerøy has long-term plans, even if they face a challenging year. Factory manager Per-Gunnar Hansen does the same. – The investment we are making in Båtsfjord must be proof that we have plans to stay in Båtsfjord, says Hansen. But the village is far from the only coastal community in Finnmark that makes a living from fishing. And now everyone is asking the fisheries minister for a “fair” quota distribution. Listening to the professionals With barely three months behind him as fisheries minister, people look to Marianne Sivertsen Næss (Ap) from Hammerfest for a fair distribution. Fisheries and Oceans Minister Marianne Sivertsen Næss (Ap) meets the Båtsfjord Chamber of Commerce’s fisheries group to discuss the status of the fishing industry. Photo: Sebastian Faugstad / news – How are you going to ensure predictability and jobs along the coast? – It is a serious situation with the large reduction in quotas we have already had, and which the councils are now also showing for next year. It will have consequences for fishermen, for the industry and the entire industry, says Næss. – I want to initiate a meeting between industry, administration and research to discuss the situation. But it is clear, we must listen to the scientific advice. This is how we ensure sustainability and that we have the fishery for generations to come. Deputy mayor Ronald Wærnes (Sp) and Marianne Sivertsen Næss (Ap) discuss the quota notifications inside the “Lagunen” in Båtsfjord. Photo: Sebastian Faugstag / news Several people in the fishing industry in Båtsfjord tell news that the authorities have let go of the wheel a long time ago when it comes to quota regulation. There is still talk of the National Audit Office’s report from 2020, which shows that the quota system has contributed to reduced fishing activity in several coastal communities. – We listen to the quota advice we receive. They are appointed by leading professionals. It will be important to ensure sustainability in the fisheries as well. In order to secure future generations, we must manage and harvest the surplus that is, and comply with the professional advice. Betting and hoping The quota purchase Freddy Kristiansen made almost ten years ago gives him more security in the ongoing situation along the coast. Although the industry is under more pressure, he believes there is still room to make the same choices he did. It just costs a little more of everything. – You have to live in it. When I bought a boat and allowances, the family went on holiday without me for two years. I had to spend the whole summer out at sea, says Kristiansen. In 2018, Freddy Kristiansen bought two nine-meter quotas at 3 million per. Without these, he would not have been able to own his boat “Solheim” today. Photo: Sebastian Faugstad – But what do you think about the situation young fishermen with the same dream as you face today? – They have every opportunity to do what I do, even if the quota has become more expensive. They can start at group two and work their way up. Many young people show it today, and go out to fish for both haddock and pollock. But it probably requires more than it did in 2015. Published 09/07/2024, at 05.11
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Quota cuts can have major consequences for fishing communities – news Troms and Finnmark
