politics
Norwegian Satellites to Uncover Unregulated Fishery
The Norwegian government is launching a global ocean surveillance program against fisheries crime. Over a third of all the world's coastal states are to have access to satellite data and expertise from Norway, which can be used to monitor their sea areas and uncover fisheries crime.
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"This is bordercrossing organized economic crime, which drains the oceans for billions worth. Fishery crime threatens the ecosystems and the sustainability of the ocean and drains local communities for workplaces and values," says Minister of Fisheries and Ocean Policy Bjørnar Skjæran (Labor) in a press release from the Norwegian Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Fisheries.
He says the fight against illegal fishery is important to an ocean state like Norway.
"We now share Norwegian technology and expertise with many other countries to deal with the problem."
Free of charge
Norway will use the Automatic Identification System (AIS) to share data from Norwegian satellites with the other countries participating in the project, which has been named the "Blue Justice Community."
The countries will receive the information for free and can, therefore, conduct their own analyses and uncover fishery crime. They are also offered free support from the Norwegian tracking unit in Vardø, which is staffed with analysts from the Norwegian Coastal Administration and the Directorate of Fisheries.
"Fighting fishery crime is essential to develop sustainable and just sea economies in developing countries, and the monitoring of fishing vessels can be a crucial tool for these countries," says Anne Beathe Tvinnereim (Center), Norwegian Minister of International Development.
Important for the UN
The new sea surveillance program was developed by the Coastal Administration's BarentsWatch and the Norwegian Space Agency.
Norway is already funding a project against fishery crime under the UN's development program. The "Blue Justice Community" will be a contribution to this work.
"Norway, and not least the Nordic region, is a region which has much to offer the global south," says Ulrika Modeèr, UN Assistant Secretary-General and Director of the Bureau of External Relations and Advocacy.
She believes that the Norwegian initiative's unique aspect is combining state expertise with digitalization and data sharing.
"This is essential for the UN in our work to achieve the sustainability goals," states Modeèr.
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This article was originally published in Norwegian and has been translated by Birgitte Annie Molid Martinussen.
