The two Danish fishing vessels “Carpe Diem” and “Tove Kajgaard” have been fined NOK 25,000 for illegal halibut fishing in the Norwegian economic zone. Both trawlers will also have the values they have earned from the illegal fishing confiscated. – This is environmental crime and we take it seriously. Crime should not pay, says police lawyer Fanny Paus. Together, the two trawlers have had NOK 189,000 seized after fishing over 1,500 tonnes of halibut. Illegal fishing It was during the winter of 2021–2022 that the Coast Guard received several tips about possible illegal fishing in the Norwegian economic zone. The reports stated that Danish trawlers caught halibut in January. This is despite the fact that halibut with restrictions south of 62° north, on the Norwegian side, is protected from 20 December to 31 March. Angler Lars Christian Holte from Siljan thinks it is good that the Danes are being punished. He is one of several fishermen in Norway who have committed themselves against illegal halibut fishing. – It is good that they were fined, but a fine of NOK 25,000 is embarrassingly low. They have brought in enormous values in Norway over several years. The police believe the fine level is correct, according to police attorney Paus. Holte believes confiscation of valuables stings more than fines. – Overall, it’s a decent slap in the face. I doubt they will do it again, says Holte. He is concerned that important spawning fish are allowed to live in peace. – We hope for more fish that can be enjoyed by all. Both professional fishermen and hobby fishermen, he says. 25 tonnes The fishing is said to have taken place on the outside of Jomfruland in Kragerø. After the Coast Guard was tipped off about possible illegal fishing, the Norwegian authorities boarded a total of five Danish trawlers at sea in the Skagerak. It gave tangible results. The coastguard registered a total of 25 tonnes of what they believe was illegally fished halibut on board the Danish vessels. 4.7 tonnes of this was demonstrably caught on the Norwegian side during the conservation period in the winter of 2021–2022. On 18 January, Tove Kajgaard’s colleagues on board Carpe-Diem posted Facebook pictures, where the fishermen talk about good halibut fishing “this week”. Position data from the Coastal Agency shows that the fishermen were in the Norwegian economic zone in the days before the pictures were published. The rest of the same week they moved exclusively between the Swedish and Norwegian zones. In both places, halibut is protected in winter, but Danish trawlers can fish for halibut without being penalized on the Swedish side. The documentation was handed over to the police, who have now finished investigating the case. Some involved bycatch, but the Coast Guard also revealed several cases of so-called direct catch. – 80-90 per cent of the catch consisted of halibut. It is very serious, Jonny Høgset, fisheries officer in the coast guard, told news in February. The fishermen themselves must have stated that they were not aware of the ban, according to the High Court. Fishing in good faith Lars Kajgaard is the owner of the fishing company “Tove Kajgaard”. Erik Vinther Poulsen is director of the company that owns the trawler “Carpe Diem”. They write in an e-mail to news that they have fished in good faith. – For 12 years we and several Danish fishing boats have been fishing for halibut in Norway, which we did not know was protected from 20 December to 31 March. As they are only protected in Norwegian waters, and not in Danish and EU waters. They claim that they have always followed the rules and reported to the Norwegian authorities. – They have always known what we have caught every day. Over 12 years, we have been visited several times by the Norwegian fisheries authorities. They have never pointed out or mentioned that we have been fishing illegally, they write. – It is therefore very unexpected that we are being exposed in the Norwegian and Danish media for illegal halibut fishing in Norwegian waters by anglers and green organisations. – We are harassed, and they post the monitoring of our fisheries on social media. Kajgaard and Poulsen further write that the Danish Fisheries Association has been familiar with their halibut fishing in Norway. – We accept the fine and that we have done something illegal under applicable Norwegian legislation. We would like to emphasize that we have fished in good faith.
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Danish halibut fishermen fined for illegal fishing in Norway – news Vestfold and Telemark – Local news, TV and radio
