Fishing is the biggest threat to the Oslofjord

Economy and business: The Outer Oslofjord is most threatened by human activity as we remove animals from the ecosystem through fishing, both recreational fishing and commercial fishing, according to a new risk assessment from the Institute of Marine Research.

Lobster is an example of a species that is highly exposed to recreational fishing, while shrimp is exposed to commercial fishing.

– Bottom fishers have a poor status and we are particularly worried about the cod, says researcher Johanna Myrseth Aarflot at the Institute of Marine Research to VG.

– For cod – and demersal fish in general – professional and recreational fishermen are treated equally in our report, that is to say, we assume they pose an equal threat and that this is the biggest threat to cod overall, she says.

– We must stop fishing for the last fish in the Oslo Fjord. Both commercial fishing and recreational fishing must stop in protected areas. You don’t need to be a biologist to understand that there will be nothing to build up again if we continue to fish on stocks that are almost gone, says Ramus Hansson (MDG), who sits on the food committee at the Storting.

“Professional fishermen who have to change their business must receive compensation and support for the development of more environmentally friendly fishing gear such as shrimp lures,” he says.

The Institute of Marine Research is nevertheless most concerned about the cod.

The MDG is now advocating for a comprehensive fishing ban in the Oslo Fjord.

(© NTB)