The government has today established Norway's largest marine protected area in the municipalities of Alta, Hasvik and Loppa in the counties of Troms and Finnmark. The Lopphavet Marine Protected Area consists of open sea areas that contain important and very diverse nature. The area is important for many species of seabirds and coastal cod.
– With the creation of this marine protected area, we are writing a small piece of history. Lopphavet has natural values that we should be proud of. Here we have open sea areas with wonderful nature. As a result, we have unique coral reefs and important areas for seabirds. These are natural values that we want to preserve as best as possible for future generations, says the Minister of Climate and Environment Espen Barth Eide.
The new protected area consists of one larger site and two smaller sub-sites. It will be jointly managed and covers a total area of 1322 km 2 . This will keep Lopphavet as it was before the largest marine protected area in Norway. Its size includes, among others: the three national parks Raet, Ytre Hvaler and Færder taken together. Activities that negatively impact the protected area will be prohibited in the protected area. This will include, among others: apply to activities that include placing new installations on the seabed, mass storage, dredging, etc.
What about fishing in this area?
Fishing will still be allowed with the exception of two coral areas. The coral reefs in the depths are made of stone coral and are home to fantastically rich nature. In Norway, the coral species Lophelia pertusa forms a reef.
– The process of creating this took a very long time, both because you have to consider all the interested parties and because they were so far apart. I would especially like to thank the municipalities of Alta, Hasvik and Loppa for their constructive cooperation in its implementation. Thanks to this, we also have a good starting point for the effective management of the new protected area, he says Barth Eide.
Fishing with bottom trawls prohibited
In the conservation area, it will be possible to apply for an exemption from the conservation rules for aquaculture, which do not conflict with the purpose of conservation. In addition, bottom trawling is prohibited in the area that will serve as the reference area for investigating the effects of shrimp trawl.
The Lopphavet Marine Protected Area will be managed by a separate protected areas council. The municipalities of Alta, Hasvik and Loppa, the counties of Troms and Finnmark and the Sami Parliament are on the board.
Norway supports the conservation of at least 30 percent of the world's marine area through conservation or other effective area-based conservation measures. This is an important issue ahead of the autumn UN nature summit.
Source: regjeringen
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