Nofima Mat, the Norwegian Institute of Food, Fisheries and Aquaculture Research, states that the rising number of fishing tourists flocking to the coast for adventure provides new opportunities for the local population – while simultaneously creating new concerns about the activities’ effects on coastal fish stocks. The commercial fisheries sector has expressed grave concerns over the rising fishing tourism as they fear that this new trend will jeopardise their livelihood.
Tourism researcher Trude Borch at Nofima in Tromsø, said that rising fishing tourism is good news but it should be managed properly to reduce conflicts with commercial fishermen and to ensure sustainable management of coastal fish stocks. The Ministry of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs’ Fishing Tourism Advisory Committee is addressing the situation by presenting a proposal for further regulation of Norwegian marine fishing tourism.
He also added that a further development of Norwegian coastal tourism will require cooperation between the fisheries, aquaculture and tourism industries. Borch said that there is broad agreement that coordination of resources is not only a good idea, but totally decisive in the development of tourism.
