Early in the morning, shark fisherman Joachim Nygård Foss (32) goes out to sea outside Smøla on Nordmøre. He is completely alone in the boat and calls himself fisherman, skipper, mate, machinist and cook. From the new year, he will be given an additional task. He must report to the Directorate of Fisheries three times a day. – I have enough to follow if I am not going to write to the directorate as well, says Foss. Now the fishermen are protesting along the entire coast with pirate flags. They feel suspected by the authorities. Joachim Nygård Foss from Smøla has his own boat and works alone on the lake. Photo: Privat Can be punished The new rules require fishermen to report when they go fishing, when they return to port and how many kilograms of each species of fish they have with them. If they report incorrectly, they can at worst be punished. – Yesterday I had seven different types of fish in the net. This will be labor-intensive, says Foss. He has to guess the weight of the different types and hope that it is correct. The catch must be reported in before he goes to reception. Fiskaren is surrounded by islets and happens. He is afraid that the work on the screen takes away the focus in bad weather. – One should keep one’s tongue firmly in one’s mouth. If you are careless, you can run aground, says the fisherman. Must prevent fishing crime Thord Monsen is head of section in the Directorate of Fisheries. He says that the digital reporting solution is designed to be easy to use. Photo: Trygve Heide / news The reporting system is already in use on the largest boats. The reason why the requirement is also being introduced on the smaller boats is to reduce the possibility of fishing crime with under-reporting of the catch. In addition, you will want to know more about coastal fishing. – The smallest vessels fish stocks on which there is little research. We need more knowledge about the stocks so that we can ensure efficient management of the resources, says Thord Monsen. He is head of section in the Directorate of Fisheries. Monsen says that the reporting solution has been developed so that it should be as simple as possible and thus work well for even the smallest boats. In the first year, no one will be punished for making mistakes. Reporting for fishermen From 1 January 2024, all Norwegian fishing and fishing vessels must report their catch and activity at sea, regardless of who they are. When the requirement will be introduced: 1 July 2022: all vessels over 11 meters 1 January 2023: all vessels over 10 meters 1 January 2024: all vessels under 10 meters You must send three messages during a trip: port departure, catch and port call (Fisheries Directorate) Considering selling the shark Smøla fisherman Joachim Nygård Foss does not understand the need. He believes that the authorities already have good control over his catch since it is reported in from the fish reception after weighing. – Of course they think we’re drifting and cheating, so I don’t understand where to hide the fish. Whether I should keep it in the cabin or my head pillow, says Foss. The 32-year-old started as a fisherman straight after leaving school. He loves life as a shark fisherman, but now he wonders if all the bureaucracy is worth it. – I will not think twice before I sell the shark. If there is too much loot, I give up, says Foss.
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