Norway seafood industry pushes to restrict tourist fish exports

The Norwegian seafood industry is supporting a proposal by mayors in Øksnes and Nærøysund to limit the amount of fish foreign tourists can take out of the country. Currently, tourists are permitted to export up to 30 kilograms of fish per year across two shipments. While regulations are set to reduce this limit to 20 kilograms by 2027, industry representatives are calling for even stricter measures.

Sjømatbedriftene, the seafood industry organization, argues that fishing tourism should focus on nature experiences and skill-building rather than the extraction of resources. Geir Martin Lerbukt, the organization's technical manager for catch and industry, stated that because fish resources are a collective asset supporting thousands of coastal jobs, the current lack of strict control and reporting for tourist catches raises sustainability concerns.