“Sustainable Management of Marine Resources”

Dear seafood friends,

Since we met at the opening of the seminar, I have had the pleasure of visiting the fish counter in a Portuguese supermarket with His Majesty King Harald of Norway. Looking around the store, I was impressed by the importance of seafood in general, and of bacalhau in particular. I realise that seafood is an integral part of the Portuguese diet.

I am pleased to address this seminar on the important subject of responsible fisheries. Sustainable management of living marine resources is the main priority in the Norwegian government's fisheries policy.

(Fisheries is an important industry in Norway)
Throughout history, fisheries have been the very basis of life and culture along the Norwegian coast. Indeed, today many of our coastal communities are still completely dependent on the fish resources. In 2007 the value of Norwegian seafood exports attained almost 5 billion euro. This contributes substantially to the economic development of society and demonstrates how important it is that Norway conducts its fisheries in a sustainable manner.

I would like to take this opportunity to present an outline of the essence of my country's management regime. I will then briefly talk about the main challenge facing fisheries today – namely illegal, unregulated and unreported fisheries.

(The Norwegian management regime)
Ecosystem based management means also taking care of the biodiversity. Without the vital ecosystem, we cannot harvest nature’s surplus. This is why the fisheries management and other bodies have introduced regulations to protect the cold-water coral reefs found in deep waters along many parts of the coats of Norway.

(Scientific advice)
Norwegian resource management is based upon the principles of long-term sustainable harvesting. It is also based on use of the best scientific advice available, taking into account the principles of the precautionary approach and sustainable use.
The International Council for Exploration of the Sea – ICES – is the key institution for providing scientific advice and quota recommendations. Scientists from several countries carry out research and studies to obtain the necessary knowledge and basis on which the negotiations between Norway and other states take place.

(Quota negotiations)
Quota negotiations are initiated once ICES has presented its yearly recommendations for the different stocks. Then the quota negotiations between Norway and other states take place. The most important of these negotiations are the negotiations between Norway and Russia concerning the stocks in the Barents Sea, and the negotiations between Norway and the European Commission concerning the shared stocks in the North Sea. The negotiations are conducted on an annual basis. 

(Control, enforcement and strict regulations)
Once the quotas have been determined, we need to focus on how to conduct our fisheries. We place great emphasis on resource control of all catches of fish within the jurisdiction of the Norwegian waters.

The Directorate of Fisheries is responsible for resource control. This includes quayside inspections, sales inspections, post-landing audits, inspectors at sea, satellite surveillance and quota controls.

Measures like quotas and licensing have been introduced in order to prevent over-fishing and depletion of resources.  We therefore have very strict regulations, and today all stocks with commercial value are regulated, as the Norwegian Director General of Fisheries, Peter Gullestad, explained earlier today.

An important part of our management system is the Norwegian Coast Guard. The Coast Guard is responsible for exercising resource control at sea. This is a huge task, considering that the ocean areas subject to Norwegian fisheries’ jurisdiction and surveillance are six times the size of the Norwegian mainland. I am sure that Commander Steve Olsen from the Norwegian Coast Guard explained this in more detail.

The Norwegian management regime aims to ensure that the various fisheries in Norway are conducted according to the regulations and within the total allowable catch for each stock. There is growing awareness of these matters in society at large and especially among politicians, NGOs and consumers. The attention is indeed welcome. We have a common interest in these issues, and I wish to emphasise that we understand the consumers’ demand for information on how and where seafood is produced and if the marine stock is sustainably harvested. The consumer's interest is of utmost importance to us.

(Precautionary approach and long-term management plans)
While a precautionary approach in fisheries management has been pursued in Norway since the late 1990s, efforts to implement an ecosystem based approach are of a more recent date. In that regard, development and effective implementation of long-term management plans are critical. In cooperation with Russia and the EU we have implemented this kind of management plan for several stocks in the North Sea as well as in the Barents Sea.

Regarding Arctic cod and haddock, the joint Norwegian–Russian Fisheries Commission has adopted a rule for setting the annual total allowable catch for these species. It is important for me to underline that Norwegian Arctic cod is one of the cod stocks which is in good condition. And so are the stocks of haddock and saithe in the Barents Sea, as well as the stocks of Norwegian spring spawning herring and blue whiting.

(IUU-fishing, our greatest challenge)
We have fought a tough fight to stop the illegal fishing in the Barents Sea. IUU fishing has serious consequences for the fish stocks, and therefore also for the ecosystem as well as for the fishing industry. Combating IUU fishing has been a major priority for my government. We are very pleased that Portugal shares this priority and has been a leading European nation in the fight against criminal fishing activities.

IUU fishing cannot be fought by one nation on its own. It is a global challenge, and therefore this battle calls for international co-operation. IUU fishing takes place in many fisheries and in different oceans. This is transnational crime against marine resources, involving complex ownership and financing structures. The use of flags of convenience and tax havens is also often linked with large-scale IUU fishing.

Fighting illegal fishing in the Barents Sea has been and continues to be a challenge for Norway. With a relatively small organisation for fishery management, we decided to focus on the immediate problem of IUU fishing of cod in the north. We have worked – and will continue to work – at the national, bilateral and global levels to increase transparency and enhance coordinated efforts. And I am glad to say that the very first bilateral agreement to achieve these goals was the agreement that Portugal and Norway signed in February 2006. Since then, several nations have joined the struggle to stop IUU fishing.

Estimating figures for IUU fishing is, by its very nature, extremely difficult. However, the Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries has developed methods for this purpose that give us a clear picture of the trends in illegal fishing in the Barents Sea. The estimates show that overfishing of cod in 2005 amounted to 100,000 tonnes. In 2006, it was reduced to 80.000 tonnes. By 2007, the figure was 40,000 tonnes, which means a reduction of 60 % in two years.

I would like to thank everyone who has been involved in making this reduction possible. Without the help from our friends in Europe, this positive development would not have been possible.

Still, the nature of IUU fishing is such that IUU operators will always try to find ways to bypass new measures. Therefore, we see no alternative but to continue our efforts to combat IUU fishing. At this stage, international cooperation and a broader perspective are needed more than ever. The results of the port state measures introduced in the North East Atlantic Fisheries Commission have been very encouraging. Therefore, Norway has taken the initiative to create a legally binding global instrument for port state measures for the fisheries. With support from the UN and many individual countries, the FAO will therefore carry out consultations this year to this end.

(Traceability)
There is a growing demand to be able to trace the origin of seafood products. The consumers want to know when and where the fish was caught, and whether it was caught legally or not. Importers request proof that the seafood is safe and originates from sustainable fisheries.

In addition to controls at sea and when the fish is landed, market mechanisms can be an important tool for combating IUU fishing. Keywords in this context are traceability and proper labelling of products from legal fisheries.
Earlier today you were introduced to the concept of “Environmental documentation of Norwegian cod” by Rigmor Abel from The Norwegian Seafood Export Council. This work is important to prove our sustainable management of marine resources.

(Closing remarks)
We know that only through sound management and harvesting practices will we be able to earn the consumer’s confidence. Norway has established an official website on seafood safety and resource and aquaculture management – fisheries.no.

The site, in English, gives a comprehensive overview of Norwegian fisheries management.
We take pride in continuing to be the major seafood provider to the Portuguese market. Seafood is healthy and seafood is savoury. And – it is Norwegian seafood combined with Portuguese cuisine that has made bacalhau a delicacy around the world.

Muita obrigada! Thank you!