In the fjords on Søre Sunnmøre and in Nordfjord there is a rebellion against fishing. When the floodlights are switched on before the note is thrown, the light enters people’s houses and bedrooms. – People can’t sleep because of light and noise, says hobby fisherman Ottar Ekremsæter. Ottar Ekremsæter wants the fishing boats away from the houses. Photo: Harald Kolseth / news Reported to the police In Kjødepollen in Nordfjord, several permanent residents and cottagers have come together and reported several fishing boats to the police. – We believe that noise and the amount of light is illegal, says Ekremsæter. – But mustn’t one be so tolerant when commercial fishermen are fishing legally? – No, they don’t need to lie close to the house in a tight fjord. It is possible to move further out into the fjords so that there is no conflict between fishermen and people who live here. The police will now assess whether light and noise can be punishable against the provisions in the Neighborhood Act. Post a picture on Facebook After it became legal to use lights in seine fishing in Møre and Romsdal in 2017, the conflict between the local population and the professional fishermen has escalated. Lilli Ann Bakkebø in Åheim has started a Facebook page where people post pictures of the fishing boats in the fjord. – I post because I don’t think people know how crazy it is. The problem is that they arm our fjords. On the Facebook page, there is a picture of dead fish and a layer of fat left behind after fishing last year. – It was the root that stank several kilometers into the fjord here. Lilli Ann Bakkebø and many others are also concerned that the streamlining of fishing, with large nets, is causing the fish stocks to weaken. Photo: Private – Barely dry enough to go to the quay news has been in contact with fishermen who have been reported to the police after fishing in the fjords. They do not want to speak to the media, but say they feel they are being harassed. Fisherman Erik Gåsvær in Solund is not afraid to speak his mind. He doesn’t think the harassment is okay. – We are here to do our job and create activity in the local community. The mackerel eat all of the fry, so I think the consequences would have been much greater if we didn’t have the fish, says Gåsvær. Erik Gåsvær fishes for mackerel on board the boat MS Barstein, and reacts to the way the fishermen are treated. Photo: Harald Kolseth / news Gåsvær tells of an acquaintance who received threats from someone who said that they would do everything they could to revoke his rights and ensure that he was not allowed to go to sea again. – We hardly dare to go to the quay anymore because we are so tired of being scolded, harassed and threatened. – Completely legal The Fishermen’s Association also reacts to the fact that the fishermen have been reported to the police. – I think it is a sad development. This is a very important profession. They provide short-distance food and represent formidable value creation. In the course of two weeks, 2,000 tonnes of mackerel worth NOK 20 million have been fished in these fjord systems, says Ole Morten Sorthe, daily manager of Møre and Romsdal Fishermen’s Association. According to Sorthe, the claims that the fishermen are breaking the regulations are not correct. – Should that be the case, it is a matter for the police and the Directorate of Fisheries. Ole Morten Sorthe is the day-to-day manager of Møre and Romsdal Fiskarlag. Photo: Silje Thalberg / news The Directorate of Fisheries is not aware of any serious breaches of the rules, but informs news that they will carry out a routine check of the fishery. Want to change the regulations In Volda, the gangs have come together to request that the regulations be changed. Among other things, they want a ban on the use of lights in fjords and shallow areas. – There is no point in debating with individual fishermen. We are not looking to take the fishermen, but the regulations must be changed, says Oddvar Høydalsvik. Lilli Ann Bakkebø in Åheim believes that it is urgent to do something about fishing in the fjords. – Right now the best place to fish for mackerel is right here. We were also the last to open up light fishing, and I don’t think it’s a coincidence that there are still plenty of fish here.
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Report fishing boats that light up houses to the police – news Møre og Romsdal – Local news, TV and radio
