Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries seizes 348 fishing tools in July inspection

The Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries reported depressing results after an operation against illegal fishing along the coast of Western Norway.

Only one in six controlled fishing tools was legal and compliant. A total of 148 tools were inspected, and only 26 were compliant. A total of 348 different tools were seized during the operation in mid-July.

“This is bad,” inspector Narve Leonhardsen in the Directorate of Fisheries’ Maritime Service noted.

The operation is a collaboration between the Coast Guard, the Norwegian Environmental Protection Agency, the police, and the Directorate of Fisheries. 

Violations reported

Now, the findings are followed by police reports of illegal fishing in most cases. The tools that have been found are often lost or left in the sea. 

The Directorate of Fisheries emphasizes that this so-called “ghost fishing” leads to animal cruelty.

“We get upset when we come across gear that has often been in the sea for months, maybe years. But at the same time, it is satisfying to remove it from the sea,” Leonhardsen said.

The Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries has three vessels that will be operational and carry out controls throughout Southern Norway in the future.

Source: © NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today / #NorwayTodayNews

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