Lopphavet is located in the municipalities of Alta, Hasvik and Loppa. The new protected area will be divided into three. One larger and two smaller. In total, it covers an area of 1322 square kilometers. It will thus be Norway’s largest protected area at sea. It was originally proposed to protect an area of 3045 square kilometers, but after input from municipalities and businesses, this has been reduced. – We have targeted the protection measures against the natural values that were important to protect, says Minister of Climate and Environment Espen Barth Eide. The Lopphavet marine protected area consists of open sea areas that contain important and very varied nature. The area is important for a number of seabird species and for coastal cod, it is stated in a press release from the government. MAP: Map of the area in Lopphavet that the government wants to protect. Photo: Karverket, Geovekst, municipalities and OSM – Geodata AS / Regjeringen If you are very curious about exactly where the boundaries go, you can download a larger version of the map here. Fishing continues to increase Local municipalities have been concerned that protection would affect fishing interests in the area. The government believes this has now been taken into account in the protection plan. – It will to a small extent affect the activity that is there today. We have received great local support for the measure, says Eide. Fishing will still be allowed, except in two less mapped coral areas, according to the government. According to Eide, the protection will protect against new activity that may damage the natural values that one wishes to protect. In principle, this may include the extraction of oil, gas, and seabed minerals and the establishment of offshore wind farms. Lopphavet marine protected area shall be managed by a separate protected area board in which the municipalities of Alta, Hasvik and Loppa, Troms and Finnmark county municipalities and the Sami Parliament shall participate. Relieved Mayor of Hasvik municipality, Eva Husby (Labor Party) is relieved that the area the government has now established has been reduced from what was originally proposed. Photo: Theis Roksvåg Pedersen / news – I am insanely happy today. We have been heard. She has previously been concerned that the protected area would be at the expense of fishing interests. She is happy that the municipality contributes to protection, but also has the fishermen’s interests taken care of. For the municipality, it was important to get the protected area out of the fjord. – It has been our agenda that fishing can continue as before. Not reached the target for 2020 Today, around 5% of the sea areas in Norway are approved marine protected areas, while around half of the sea areas are protected through other effective area-based management measures in the fisheries management. The protected area in Lopphavet will increase this, but it is still some way up to the 10 percent that Norway should reach by 2020. Norway supports the UN’s proposal for a global sea agreement, which will ensure that 30 percent of the sea areas in the world are preserved through protection or other area-efficient conservation measures. The agreement was to be adopted in March, but the countries could not agree. Thus, it will be up again at the UN nature summit this autumn. – Preserving this nature in the Lopphavet is important both locally and for the port nation Norway. At the same time, it is also an important contribution to international cooperation to take care of the sea, says Minister of Climate and Environment Espen Barth Eide.
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The government is establishing Norway’s largest protected area at sea – news Troms and Finnmark
