Norway – ancient traditions of harvesting the sea

Throughout Norwegian history, people in Norway have made a living from the sea. This has been the very basis of life and culture along the coast, and many of our coastal communities are still dependent on marine harvest.

The Norwegian Exclusive Economic Zone

Norway has established three zones of 200 nautical miles: an exclusive economic zone around the Norwegian mainland (the Norwegian Exclusive Economic Zone), a fishery protection zone around Svalbard and a fishery zone around Jan Mayen.

Facts about Fisheries and Aquaculture 2009

The Norwegian Ministry of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs has published a booklet containing facts on Norwegian seafood production – consumption and export, fisheries and catches, aquaculture and research and innovation. The booklet was published in August 2009.

No harmful products should reach the market

Seafood safety //

The main aim for Norwegian authorities is that no harmful products should reach the market. A prerequisite to secure seafood safety is monitoring of undesirable substances such as environmental pollutants, additives, residues of pharmaceuticals for aquaculture, microorganisms and parasites in seafood from both wild catch and farmed fish, fish feed and feed resources.

Tourists must comply with minimum sizes for salt water fish

From 1 January 2010, tourists must comply with the minimum size table for sea fishing in Norway. Fish under the minimum size must be carefully freed from the gear and released into the sea again.

European lobster

European lobster is found along the coast in the temperate region of the North-East Atlantic, extending from the warm waters of Morocco into the colder waters around the Arctic Circle in northern Norway. The species is also found in the Mediterranean Sea, but not in the Baltic. The northernmost self-sustaining population is found in Tysfjord (68°15’N) in northern Norway.

Quota negotiations with other countries

Around 90 per cent of Norway’s fisheries are conducted on stocks that are shared with other states. For the most important fish stocks, quota levels are set in cooperation with other countries. Norway has negotiated a series of agreements with adjacent countries. For example, Norway has such agreements with Russia, the European Union, Iceland, Greenland, and the Faroe Islands, of which the agre...