At the weekend, the Coast Guard, the Directorate of Fisheries and the Norwegian Nature Inspectorate campaigned in the area of Haugesund, Stord, Bømlo and Ålfjorden. The result is discouraging when it comes to the use of illegal teas. In total, 39 reports were issued and 79 fishing nets, 2 float nets and one bottom net were seized. This was due, among other things, to poor marking of blowers and teins, missing rot wire and escape openings that were too small. Jørgen Varpe Wallem, captain lieutenant and ship commander at the Coast Guard. Photo: Simon Elias Bogen / news – These are very disappointing results. It seems that there are many people who take the regulations lightly, or who have not familiarized themselves with them, says Jørgen Varpe Wallem, lieutenant captain and ship commander at the Coast Guard. Wallem believes they could have found many more illegal teens. And the fines for those who fish with illegal gear are expensive. If you do not have the right size of escape opening, the rates start at NOK 7–8,000, in addition, the illegal tiles will be confiscated and destroyed. The illegal fish that the coastguard collected from the sea at the weekend were handed in to the police in the Sør-West police district. EXPENSIVE FINE: During the three days the inspection was carried out, 39 notices were issued for illegal fishing conditions. This fine is close to NOK 8,000. Photo: JØRGEN VARPE WALLEM / Coast Guard – Some gear has been in the sea for a long time, others are new, but illegal due to faults with the gear. The fishing gear we receive is destroyed fairly quickly, says Sjur Stava, acting head of the North Sea Environmental Section in the police district. Sold with an illegal escape opening Stava explains that one of the challenges is that tines are sold with an escape opening, which is illegal in the summer. Acting head of the North Sea and environment section in the South-West police district, Sjur Stava. Photo: Simon Elias Bogen / news – Most people who buy tiles are not aware of this. In the summer, the gutters must have two escape openings of 80 millimetres. In autumn, during lobster fishing, smaller openings of 60 millimeters are permitted. This rail had too small an escape opening. To fish for crab, the escape opening must be 80 millimetres. Photo: The police in Sør-Vest According to Stava, a great many tiles are sold with escape openings of 60 millimeters as standard. – I believe that it would make sense if rails were sold with a 2×80 millimeter escape opening as standard, it will always be legal. Those who are going to fish for lobster in the autumn can themselves reduce the escape opening to a 60 millimeter opening, he says. He recommends everyone who fishes to download the Recreational Fishing app from the Directorate of Fisheries. All hobby fishermen will find useful and correct information there, it is also possible to register lost and found gear, according to Stava. – If you have several defects, or several tiles with faults, the fine will increase. It is sour money for them, he says. Demanding work Wenche Johannesen is a senior inspector in the Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries, and during the inspection round in the Hardangerfjord, she pulls up several of the illegal seines that Stava has warned about. Wenche Johannesen, senior inspector in the Directorate of Fisheries. Photo: Simon Elias Bogen / news – We have found a number of teens who are not legal. They are taken and handed over to the police, explains Johannesen. Although the inspector specifies that the escape openings must comply with the legislation, that is not the only thing she is looking for. – There may be unmarked tiles, in which case it is impossible to identify the owner of the tile, Johannesen explains. The inspector explains that the work is important, but demanding. – We have boats that go along the entire Norwegian coast. There are an enormous number of fjords and we have a long coastline. We find a lot of gear everywhere along the coast. There is a need for regulation, no doubt about it, Johannesen concludes.
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Many people use illegal fishing lines for crab fishing – can be fined NOK 8,000 – news Rogaland – Local news, TV and radio
