E-mails meant for Per Sandberg to wrong recipient

Minister of Fisheries Per Sandberg Dublin TransfersMinister Per Sandberg (Progress Party). Photo: frp.no

Salmon lobbyist sent e-mails meant for Per Sandberg to the wrong recipient

The salmon lobbyist Frode Reppe asked Minister of Fisheries, Per Sandberg and his Secretary of State Roy Angelvik, for help in private e-mails.

 

Dagbladet reports that Communications Manager at Norske Sjømatsbedrifters Landsforening (NSL), Frode Reppe, last year wanted to establish a hidden channel with the top management of the Department of Fisheries. Reppe, However, used the wrong e-mail address in the mail to the Minister of Fisheries. The e-mails instead ended up in the inbox of a private person. Instead of using the official e-mail addresses, private Gmail accounts were attempted used.

Asked for support

Svein Reppe, Photo: NSL

Reppe asked Sandberg and Angelvik for help to advocate a message to the Climate and Environment Ministry, without it being traced back to the NSL and fish farmers, it is revealed in the e-mails Dagbladet have access to. He also asked for help to report a case to the Auditor General to facilitate compensation for fish farmers in Hardanger.

The backdrop behind Reppe’s e-mails is a festering conflict between marine research communities and the aquaculture industry.

Dagbladet also refers to an e-mail where Reppe sent Per Sandberg an unfinished document containing a series of claims regarding Norwegian salmon research, among other things, that Hardanger farmers have lost substantial money over several years due to stringent restrictions. These restrictions were recently repealed and replaced with new guidelines.

Not recorded in the journal

Neither Angelvik nor Sandberg have journaled the e-mails from Reppe.

Angelvik says to Dagbladet that the normal procedure is to ask the department to assess, and it did not happen at the time since it was not journaled, but that it has now been done. He has no idea why the Seafood Industry Organization (NSL) chose to use his private e-mail address.

Frode Reppe tells the newspaper that his job is to perform lobbying and that he has never tried to hide the fact.

– I use absolutely all means available. I sometimes miss, sometimes I hit the target. The important thing for me is that everyone knows what we are about, and that the small family-owned businesses are important, says Frode Reppe.

 

© NTB Scanpix / Norway Today