Fines doubles to 8,000 for fish smuggling

Fish Smuggling Seizure CustomsFish seized by Norwegian customs in Nordland. Photo: Norwegian Customs

2.3 tonnes seized, fines doubles for fish smuggling

The fines for fish smuggling out of Norway is doubling from NOK 4,000 to NOK 8,000. Additionally, NOK 200 is added per kilogram of round fish or products illegally exported.


“I am very pleased that the Norwegian Prosecutor General now has decided to double the fines for fish smuggling. This is both financial and environmental crime, which undermines the control of resource harvesting from the ocean and is detrimental to the serious part of the tourist fishing industry,” Norwegian Minister of Fisheries, Harald T. Nesvik, states in a press release.

“It is obviously a challenge that foreigners come to Norway with the purpose of extracting as much fish as possible out of the country, in order to achieve maximum profit. Such «tourist fishermen» are not what Norway desires to have. I believe that doubling the fines will contribute to a reduction in smuggling of fish,” the Minister of Fisheries concludes.

As of January 1, 2018, amended regulations were introduced for the tourist fishing industry.

 

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There were introduced, among other changes, registration and catch reporting systems for tourist fishing businesses.

The export quota was changed from 15 kg fish and products to 20 kg for guests at registered tourist fishing businesses, and 10 kg for everybody else.

Facts about fish smuggling

  • There were a total of 68 seizures, more than 6.5 tonnes fish, in 2018.
  • More than 2.3 tonnes have been seized so far this year.
  • The majority of the seizures are of cod.
  • The seizures are mostly of fillets of fish, which means that large parts of the fish are left behind unutilised.

Read also: Elvestuen grants 3 million extra in the fight against fishing thieves


© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today
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