With Norwegians on their way to the polling booths, the Norwegian Fishermen’s Association added its voice to the debate by urging those running for office to take responsibility.
According to the Association’s director Kåre Heggebø, some politicians and business interests are pushing for the extraction of seabed minerals on the Norwegian continental shelf.
‘The knowledge base is very thin and we at the Norwegian Fishermen’s Associationurge those of you who are running for office to take responsibility,’ he said, commenting that fishing is a pillar of Norwegian food production and social development.
‘Until now, the use and protection of our marine areas has been based on orderly management processes and the best available knowledge, where the knowledge and experiences of fishermen have also been taken seriously. Unfortunately, this no longer seems to be a given,’ he said.
There is pressure to develop the extraction of seabed minerals on the Norwegian continental shelf.
‘The knowledge base is extremely thin, the consequences are uncertain at best and the impact on the marine environment will probably be very negative. When the Seabed Minerals Act was drafted, the professional community indicated that marine mineral extraction could lead to large emissions of heavy metals, which in turn would negatively affect seafood safety. We have asked the government to take this into account, but neither fisheries nor seafood safety were given significant emphasis in the opening process,’ he said, adding that it is highly doubtful whether marine mineral prospecting will ever become a profitable industry in Norway.
‘Our international reputation as a maritime nation must not be jeopardised by opening up mineral extraction on a failing commercial basis. The Norwegian Fishermen’s Association would therefore urge those of you who are running for election and the next Storting to say a clear no to marine mining on the Norwegian shelf.’
