When the national borders were closed during the corona pandemic, Heimevernet (HV) was tasked with guarding the border crossings. Haukenes was called in. He guarded the border for four months. Now his job as a fisherman may fail, because he earned too much as an HV soldier during this period. The Directorate of Fisheries will remove Haukenes from the number of fishermen from and including 1 January 2023. The Director of Fisheries promises to process the case again. Did his duty Ingar Haukenes is one of 40,000 Home Guard soldiers in Norway. He is an officer with the rank of captain. Therefore, the 52-year-old is conscription until he is 55, compared to the normal age of 44 for privates. When the call for border guard duty came, the fisherman from Porsanger could do nothing but stand. – I performed my duty as an HV soldier, says Haukenes. For four months he was stationed in Tanadalen. There are two border crossings with Finland, in Utsjok and Polmak. Border control takes place around the clock – with a lot of evening, night and weekend work which is compensated with various supplements. The Home Guard helped the police with border control during the corona pandemic. The picture was taken in Neiden in March 2020. Illustration photo. Photo: Sør-Varanger Avis “Magic” border passed In order to have fishing as your main occupation and at the same time have a vessel with a quota, it is required to be in the number of fishermen – on “sheet B”. The part-time fishermen are listed on “sheet A”. – The person on sheet B cannot have more than NOK 400,000 in income from activities other than fishing. I had that in 2021, says Haukenes. The vast majority was remuneration for the border guard service. Thus, the income passed the “magical” limit, a limit that can “conjure” Haukenes out of the number of fishermen. The letter with the decision to delete Haukenes from sheet B in the number of fishermen is dated 8 November this year. – At the same time, all rights associated with entry in the number of fishermen will lapse, says the decision. Mandatory or voluntary? The Directorate of Fisheries and Haukenes agree on how much he has earned in 2021, but they disagree on what proportion of this should be considered normal salary. Haukenes refers to the Defense Act. It states that income from compulsory service should not be considered normal pay – and cannot be used as a reason to remove him from the number of fishermen. He has also had this confirmed by the Norwegian Armed Forces: “Calling up for extraordinary service cannot be equated with ordinary employment because it is compulsory service,” writes Heimevernet in a letter to Haukenes. The Directorate of Fisheries disagrees with this. – They choose to ignore the Defense Act, says Haukenes. He has appealed the decision to the appeals unit in the Directorate of Fisheries. In the transmission letter to the unit, acting section chief Truls Konow writes that it is “voluntary to take up a career in the Armed Forces and further in the Home Guard, and that there will then be a risk of being called up to extraordinary situations beyond what is normal every year.” The Fishermen’s Census The Fishermen’s Census is a register of people who live in Norway and who have fishing or fishing in the sea as their main occupation (sheet B) or fishing or catching as a secondary occupation (sheet A). The number of fishermen is used as a basis for awarding the following rights and support schemes: – Fishing rights administered by the Directorate of Fisheries. – Social dishes in fishing and various subsidy schemes in fishing over the national budget, administered by the Guarantee Fund for fishermen. – Basis for compulsory membership in pension insurance for fishermen, where payment of the premium and any forced collection takes place at the Guarantee Fund. – Sickness benefits and social security rights in fishing, administered by NAV. The number of fishermen is also given importance in a number of other areas in both public and private law. Source: Directorate of Fisheries – I have in no way chosen a career in the Armed Forces. During my initial service, I completed a commander’s course, and as a commander I have military service until I turn 55. Haukenes indicates that he has both studied and held various jobs after his initial service, and that he has had fishing as his main occupation for a number of years. Losing welfare benefits to the Border Guard Service – and the announced reduction in the number of fishermen – could cause the Hawks several disadvantages. – I did not get to exercise my profession as a fisherman while I was ordered. If the decision is upheld, I no longer have a claim to benefits from the Guarantee Fund for fishermen, he says. A fisherman cannot receive unemployment benefit via Nav. They have their own scheme for unemployment benefits via Garantikassen if the boat is not fishing. – In the same way, I lose my pension earnings. When it comes to sick pay for the self-employed, I am not after the New Year. Haukenes throws up his arms: – Then there is only the social worker left. Director of Fisheries Frank Bakke-Jensen promises that Ingar Haukenes will get answers about his future as a fisherman before the New Year. Photo: Ole Berg-Rusten / NTB Bakke-Jensen: – Most are orders Frank Bakke-Jensen was Minister of Defense when Ingar Haukenes was called up for border guard duty. Today, he is director of fisheries and head of the appeals process through which the Porsanger fisherman’s case must go. Bakke-Jensen says there is no connection between the cases. At the same time, he emphasizes that it is important that the number of fishermen is kept accurate and updated annually, among other things because the quotas are distributed to those who are qualified to stand there. – That the register is correct is about many people’s livelihood. Bakke-Jensen also says that there are many HV soldiers who have had long orders, both in connection with border control, but also because of the increased preparedness in 2022. The Directorate of Fisheries must also take this into account in the proceedings. Therefore, the appeals unit must review this case thoroughly. – Most of the service Haukenes has had is ordering. It is true that it is not voluntary, that is why I have asked the appeals unit to consider this when they process the appeal case, says Bakke-Jensen. Ingar Haukenes has been told that he will be removed from the number of fishermen on 1 January, although the appeal has not been finally decided. Bakke-Jensen offers a little consolation in the Christmas season: – I strongly assume that we can give Ingar an answer long, long before New Year’s Eve.
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Home Guard service during the corona pandemic can lead to lost dishes for fishermen – news Troms and Finnmark
