Protection of coastal sites in the Norwegian county of Nordland
Historical archive
Published under: Bondevik's 2nd Government
Publisher: Ministry of the Environment
Press release | Date: 15/01/2003 | Last updated: 24/10/2006
The Norwegian government has today designated 74 sites, covering a total area of about 977 square kilometres, for inclusion in the coastal protection plan for Nordland county. The coast of Nordland is rich in natural habitats of international importance. "The protection plan deals with these sites as complete ecological entities, thereby safeguarding conditions vital to wildlife, as well as the distinctive landscapes and quaternary geological formations", says environment minister Børge Brende. (06.12.02)
Press release
Date: 06.12.02
Minister of Environment Børge Brende:
Protection of coastal sites in the Norwegian county of Nordland
The Norwegian government has today designated 74 sites, covering a total area of about 977 square kilometres, for inclusion in the coastal protection plan for Nordland county.The coast of Nordland is rich in natural habitats of international importance. "The protection plan deals with these sites as complete ecological entities, thereby safeguarding conditions vital to wildlife, as well as the distinctive landscapes and quaternary geological formations", says environment minister Børge Brende.
| "These unique sites along the coast of Nordland are a natural treasure and a national heritage ", says Brende. "The coastal protection plan is an important step towards the preservation of Norway's natural environment for future generations." A unique expanse of skerriesNordland accounts for about a quarter of the nation's total coastline, and offers a great variety of contrasting landscapes. The protection plan covers roughly three per cent of the coastal zone in Nordland county. The Helgeland coast has vast stretches of beach and mudflats, extensive wetlands and a profusion of verdant islands. In the north of the county, in Lofoten and Vesterålen, sheer mountains rise straight from the sea. Nationally and internationally, the Nordland coast is more than worthy of conservation in terms of its widely varied geology and landscape, in its diversity of plant and animal life. |
With thousands of islands, islets and skerries, the Nordland coast is an outstanding example of a complex maritime environment of its type. This landscape was formed in the Quaternary period, and is extremely uncommon globally. Clearly, this area is of ornithological importance internationally. It is also of great value in terms of cultural heritage: artefacts, monuments and landscapes.
The coastal protection plan for Nordland is based on a comprehensive assessment of the coastal zone, and sites have been selected according to a wide range of scientific criteria -- zoological, botanical, geological, geographical -- encompassing the distinctive as well as typical.
74 protected sites
The protection plan covers 74 sites altogether. Of these, 62 are nature reserves, three are bird sanctuaries, six are protected landscapes with wildlife conservation and three with plant life conservation. Three sites in the coastal protection plan are specified in the government White Paper on national parks and other large protected areas in Norway, St.meld. nr. 62 (1991-92): The Helgeland islands (Ytre Vegaøyan conservation area and Muddværet bird sanctuary). Svellingsflaket (Svellingsflaket protected landscape). Røstøyene (Røstøyan protected landscape and Nykan nature reserve).
The protection plan is also a follow-up to earlier government initiatives, including a White Paper on environmental conservation, St.meld. nr. 68 (1980-81).
Sites of special scientific interest
"In our collective effort to preserve biological diversity, conservation legislation aims to secure a 'bulwark' in the form of a national network of sites of special scientific interest among the various habitats in Norway", says environment minister Brende.
The coastal protection plan also reflects the parliament's action in response to a White Paper dealing with conservation and use of the coastal zone as such, St.meld. nr. 43 (1998-99), a process involving the environmental and fisheries authorities, business organizations and municipalities. One result was a decision to look more closely at the suitability of various sites for fish-farming in future.
Keen commercial interest
Consequently, in order to reduce conflict with the aquaculture industry, large marine areas with potential for fish-farming have been taken out of the plan. The protection plan covers a total area of 977 km2, of which ca. 92 km2 were already protected. About 90% of the total area covered by the plan is marine areas, which in turn account for ca. three per cent of area within the coastal baseline of Nordland. The nature reserves, representing the strongest form of protection, account for about 1.8 per cent of this territory.
"Seldom has a conservation plan been so thoroughly negotiated with a view to clarifying the relationship to commercial interests, and not least to the future potential for aquaculture", says environment minister Brende. "I am confident that export-oriented industries, fisheries and fish-farming alike, will benefit by being able to document a sound approach to environment as exemplified by a network of important protected areas."
Contact:
Pål Vidar Sollie, tel. +47-22 24 58
77
Asbjørn Solås, tel. +47-22 24 58 65
Sites in the protection plan:
- Horsvær nature reserve, Bindal, Sømna and Brønnøy municipalities
- Hensteinen, Horsvær and Gimsan bird sanctuary, Bindal, Sømna and Brønnøy
- municipalities
- Lånan/Skjærvær nature reserve, Vega municipality
- Lånan, Flovær and Skjærvær bird sanctuary, Vega municipality
- Hysvær/Søla protected landscape with wildlife conservation, Vega
- municipality
- Muddværet bird sanctuary, Vega municipality
- Indreholmen/Lyngværet nature reserve, Herøy municipality
- Kvikkleirøyran protected landscape with plant life conservation, Herøy
- municipality
- Vardøya nature reserve, Herøy municipality
- Åsværet protected landscape with wildlife conservation, Dønna municipality
- Holmholmen nature reserve, Hemnes municipality
- Vallabotn, Breivika and Røssåauren nature reserve, Hemnes municipality
- Sundsbukta nature reserve, Hemnes municipality
- Lovunda/Lundeura nature reserve, Lurøy municipality
- Sandværet protected landscape with plant life conservation, Lurøy
- municipality
- Risværet nature reserve, Lurøy municipality
- Kjølsøyværet/Valvær nature reserve, Rødøy municipality
- Otervær nature reserve, Rødøy municipality
- Støttværet nature reserve, Meløy municipality
- Flatværet/Varkgård nature reserve, Meløy municipality
- Fugløya nature reserve, Gildeskål municipality
- Nupen nature reserve, Gildeskål municipality
- Skålsvikleira/Ystleira nature reserve, Gildeskål municipality
- Øya/Langholmen protected landscape with plant life conservation, Gildeskål
- municipality
- Leirvika nature reserve, Beiarn municipality
- Ljønesøya nature reserve, Skjerstad municipality
- Tverrlandet nature reserve, Bodø municipality
- Skjelstad nature reserve, Bodø municipality
- Bliksvær nature reserve, Bodø municipality
- Fjære nature reserve, Bodø municipality
- Karlsøyvær nature reserve, Bodø municipality
- Laksågaosen nature reserve, Sørfold municipality
- Brunvær nature reserve, Steigen municipality
- Engelvær nature reserve, Steigen municipality
- Brennvika nature reserve, Steigen municipality
- Steinslandsosen nature reserve, Hamarøy municipality
- Steinosen/Sjømyrpollen nature reserve, Hamarøy municipality
- Tiltvika nature reserve, Hamarøy municipality
- Ramnholmen nature reserve, Tysfjord municipality
- Osen/Sandværet nature reserve, Ballangen municipality
- Svellingsflaket protected landscape with wildlife conservation, Lødingen and
- Vågan municipalities
- Tjeldneset nature reserve, Tjeldsund municipality
- Laukvikøyene nature reserve, Vågan municipality
- Fuglbergøya/Nautøya nature reserve, Vågan municipality
- Hovsflesa nature reserve, Vågan municipality
- Storeidvatnet nature reserve, Vestvågøy municipality
- Æsholman nature reserve, Vestvågøy municipality
- Borgværet nature reserve, Vestvågøy municipality
- Borgværet protected landscape with wildlife conservation, Vestvågøy
- municipality
- Eggum nature reserve, Vestvågøy municipality
- Lophotodden nature reserve, Moskenes municipality
- Oddan nature reserve, Moskenes municipality
- Måstadfjellet nature reserve, Værøy municipality
- Måstadfjellet protected landscape with wildlife conservation, Værøy
- municipality
- Hundholmen nature reserve, Værøy municipality
- Skittenskarvholman nature reserve, Værøy municipality
- Røstøyan protected landscape with wildlife conservation, Røst municipality
- Nykan nature reserve, Røst municipality
- Seløya nature reserve, Hadsel municipality
- Ulvøyværet nature reserve, Hadsel municipality
- Morfjorden nature reserve, Hadsel municipality
- Forfjorden nature reserve, Andøy and Sortland municipalities
- Hongværet/Galtholmen nature reserve, Bø municipality
- Frugga nature reserve, Bø municipality
- Nykvåg/Nykan nature reserve, Bø municipality
- Nyke/Tussen nature reserve, Bø municipality
- Stø/Nyksund nature reserve, Øksnes municipality
- Anda nature reserve, Øksnes municipality
- Floholman nature reserve, Øksnes municipality
- Gåsøya/Geitholmen nature reserve, Øksnes municipality
- Sauøya nature reserve, Øksnes municipality
- Bleiksøya nature reserve, Andøy municipality
- Sørmela nature reserve, Andøy municipality
- Bleikmorenen nature reserve, Andøy municipality