Let the fishermen get fishermen

Shark fishermen today meet a bureaucratic reporting system that is not adapted to the reality of the sea. The Northern Calotte people want a regulatory framework that is based on trust, gives the fishermen work peace – and ensures that the equality also applies on the quay.

In the Northern Calotte people, we work for equality – between people, cultures and industries. We want a living north, where people can live, use nature and create value. But then the policy must also be adapted to the everyday lives of those who actually live by the sea.

That is why we now say clearly: Shark fishermen must not be chased by unnecessary bureaucracy.

Catch reporting has become a scream for many coastal and fjord fishermen. When you do jerk fishing with many species and small catches, and are often alone on board, it goes without saying: It is not possible to report exactly how many pounds each species weighs. The fish is located in containers under the deck – you cannot stand and weigh everything while the boat swings.

Nevertheless, the fishermen today risk fines and withdrawal if they report a few kilos of errors. It creates uncertainty and frustration.

We can’t have it that way.

Should a box of mixed fish overturn the entire economy?

This is about more than numbers and forms. It’s about the right to live off the sea – as people in the north have always done. Coast and fjord fishing are the lifestyle in many villages. It provides work, food on the table and keeps the coastal culture alive.

We must have a regulatory framework that actually works in everyday life. Honest fishermen should not go around with fear that a small mistake in the catch report will overturn their finances.

There are solutions. The catch reporting app works well and makes it more difficult to cheat. But we have to get away from detailed rules that make it almost impossible to report absolutely correctly under the conditions the fishermen work in.

The Northern Calotte people will have rules that work – also on the quay

The Northern Calotte people mean:

Post the requirement for weight-based reporting for shark and multi-species fishing.

Rather, let the fishermen submit a message about where and when they deliver the catch – easily, on the app or SMS.

This gives the authorities a good overview, and it gives the fishermen work peace.

As I usually say: The authorities must begin to listen to people who are actually fishing.

The Northern Calotte people are fighting for fjord fishing and coastal culture to continue to provide the basis for life and settlement throughout the north. But then we must also have rules that make it possible to be a fisherman – without fear of punishment for small mistakes.

This is part of a larger case. Because when we talk about equality, it must also apply to the sea. We cannot have a system where a small margin of error on a mixed catch can overturn the economy of a family.

Let the fishermen be fishermen.

Let the technology be helpful – not a trap.

And let the policy build on cooperation and trust, not suspicion.

This is equality in practice. This is a fisheries policy with heart and reason. This is the way of the Northern Calotte people ahead.

Lasse-Håvard Lyngmo

3rd-Sameting candidate for

The Northern Calotte people

Gaisi constituency

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