No more cross-border fishing in Skagerrak

Norway has decided to stop cross-border fishing in the Skagerrak from the turn of the year, the government writes in a press release.

The Swedish Minister of Rural Affairs Peter Kullgren (KD) calls the decision “one-sided” and believes that it will primarily affect shrimp fishing vessels in the area, which often cross the border several times during one and the same trip.

They, like other vessels, must now, among other things, wait for permission from the Norwegian authorities and report their catch on board before crossing the border.

“The ban will lead to increased fuel consumption, time and labor costs for vessels that cross the border to continue fishing in Norwegian waters,” says Peter Kullgren in the press release.

Since the 1960s, Sweden, Norway and Denmark have cooperated on traditional fishing in the Skagerrak within the framework of the so-called Skagerrak Agreement, but now the regulations are part of the bilateral cooperation between the EU and Norway.