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IMPORTANT CHANGES FOR NORWAY SPORT FISHING STARTS 2018

The Norwegian fishery government have now introduced new rules for anglers that will take effect from 1st January 2018.

A reporting obligation is imposed on Halibut, Cod, Wolfish and Redfish. The number of fish caught by species after their fishing day, not the number of weight, should be reported.

At all of our Nordic sea Angling destinations in Norway, there will be a computer or Ipad available where all guests must register after finishing for the day. We have developed a very user-friendly programme for this, so it will not be so time-consuming for your guests.

It is, of course, a change for us organisers and you the guests, but when the sea fishing has grown considerably in the last few years in Norway, we want an overview of the overall catch.

In most parts of the world, sport fishing is now fairly regulated and there is nothing unusual about reporting obligations either, Norway has been in all honesty a step behind.

Now we are hardly the anglers, who are the big culprit in the depletion of our seas, but we can and will set a good example and it is good that there are new rules that are hampering dishonest operators in the industry.

However, I hope governments around the world also re-think about allowing the large-scale commercial to continue in the same way as now…

Their ships are getting bigger and bigger and more efficient. Their gear destroys everything and it sometimes catches hundreds of tonnes of fish in a single roll/trawl, even by unwanted species or size that is too large or small, as a result, that it is only dumped back dead. An enormous waste of our resources…

We as an organisation want our children and grandchildren to also eat fish in the future and not least to come out in nature and to experience everything that angling gives back.

We would have liked to have seen some rules other than this reporting requirement which would probably only work with the serious players and not the misleading and its guests.

We personally think that it would have been better with higher fines for those who break the rules of taking fish and somehow it would be better if those fish taken could be traced back to the organisation from where the guests stayed and then maybe see bigger fines for these destinations.

Unfortunately, there is also a fairly widespread system in Norway where some organisers write a kvitteringssedel to their guests, which in practice means that there are no restrictions on how much fish a tourist can take out of Norway. This is completely unreasonable for anglers / private persons to be able to bring 300 kg filet out of Norway legally.

There is no private person who should have this for his own use, but this is something that is sold in their home country and also benefits the camp owner / Promoter economically in Norway. There is no problem with tourists being able to buy fish in Norway and take them to the home country, but this must, of course, be included in the current rules!

A few other changes to next year see the increase of taking fish home from 15 kg to 20 kg of fillet per person if you have been fishing with a registered organiser in Norway, this is also more appropriate what can fit in a cool box. From 2018 onwards, it is not possible to kill a halibut over 200 cm. However, we are continuing to recommend to our guests to release all of the halibut over 130 cm when these specimens are extremely important for reproduction. There are many of our guests, who go to Norway for fishing for halibut, and then it is also in our interest to safeguard this rather slow growing species, and the females are first sexually mature at a length of 125 cm and an age of 12-13 Years. If we want to keep this cool fishing, we anglers have to do our bit.

Now we look forward to a new season in Norway 2018 together with you!

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