In the founding political charter for the current Norwegian government, the political parties agreed that the Arctic marine areas of Norway are both environmentally sensitive and yet extremely economically valuable areas that require better management. A moratorium on new petroleum activities in these regions was declared until a suitable analysis of their potential impacts had been carried out. In a following White Paper on the marine environment , it was stated that “Coastal and marine environments are under increasing pressure throughout the world. Norway is no exception. In many cases, development is carried out with inadequate knowledge of the probable impact on ecosystems.” Based on this policy, the Parliament decided that an Integrated Management Plan (hereafter IMP) should be developed for the Barents Sea and Lofoten area as a first step in this new approach.

This was a globally important policy initiative, as Norway may become one of the first countries to be drawing up a coherent policy for all its marine and coastal areas, something Greenpeace sees as a potentially good example of sound oceans management.

However, to become anything approaching a good example, Norway needs to ensure that the IMP follows a thorough and due process through to completion before allowing further developments which impact on the environment in the region. The IMP also needs to include concrete measures, based in law, for area-based management. Some areas must be designated marine reserves or marine national parks – as part of the global network of marine reserves that the planet needs for ecosystem maintenance and we need for sustainable fisheries.

As a world leader in proactive and positive environmental leadership, Norway should take the lead in developing concrete tools in marine management and stewardship that deliver on states’ international commitments. The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), Oslo-Paris convention (OSPAR), as well as the emerging European Marine Strategy (EMS) all require states to establish a network of marine protected areas. However, several signs indicate that Norway may not be ready to take this leadership role, and the IMP process is now under threat.

Undermined by oil interests: As part of the IMP process, the Environment Ministry carried out assessments of year-round petroleum activities, maritime transport, fisheries and aquaculture. The moratorium on oil and gas activities in the region, which political rhetoric indicated would remain in place at least until the final IMP had been drawn up, has now been undermined by oil industry, which views such a plan as a direct threat to their economic interests. The Oil and Energy Ministry has given the go ahead to Norwegian Hydro, Statoil and Eni to begin exploratory drilling activities in 2004-2005, i.e. before the IMP is completed. New exploratory licences will also be granted in the second part of 2005. In theory, there will be no automatic licensing for oil production activities to begin if test-drilling finds oil, but normally this is only a rubber-stamp procedure once oil has been discovered. There has never been a case in Norway where oil-yielding test wells have not been commercially developed. Spokespersons from the oil industry has announced that they plan to drill even in the extremely sensitive Lofoten area in 2007, “as soon as the politicians have sorted out their management plan” , and Shell, Statoil, Hydro, and Eni have already hired rigs.

Undermined by dangerous shipping: The Norwegian shipping lobby is working hard on the Norwegian Government to avoid setting a precedence where coastal states like Norway are allowed to add significant restrictions to “free innocent passage” along their coasts. Although stricter shipping regulations, like PSSA status or at least obligatory passage 50 nautical miles offshore would help protect the vulnerable coastline, the shipping lobby sees this as setting a dangerous precedent. It fears that if Norway goes this route, other nations will do the same, and all shipping interests will be affected.

Undermined by irresponsible fishing practices: The background report on how fisheries impact the ecology in the Lofoten and Barents Sea fails to analyse how much the environmental pressure from fishing could be reduced if certain critical areas were set aside as off-limits. It also fails to analyse the importance of the coastal fishery for local culture, livelihoods and tradition, and no analysis is done on the relative environmental impacts of the coastal fleet versus the ocean-going, factory fleet. At the same time, strong processes and policies have been set in motion by the Fisheries Ministry which is trying to change the fishing fleet structure into one with more ocean-going vessels and privatised fishing rights. These are in contradiction with the goals of the IMP process.

Undermined by time pressure: Several of the underlying reports used as a source of baseline data for decision-making reports were written in but a few weeks, with no new research being done and very little quality control. Such work reduces credibility of the result.

Undermined by lack of political ambition: The most significant threat to a trustworthy process at the moment is the lack of political ambition, even within the Environment Ministry, towards making the IMP a tool that really counts and makes an active difference to the marine management of the Barents Sea and Lofoten. As required by the CBD, OSPAR as well as the EMS, Norway must use this opportunity to establish large marine reserves to contribute to the global network of marine reserves. Designating small patches of special fjord-ecosystems that are not wanted by the oil or commercial fishing industries are simply not enough to ensure the protection of this globally important area and wildlife that inhabits it.

A trustworthy IMP cannot continue to leave all final decisions on how to manage this vulnerable region to the same industrial players that have proven unable to protect these oceans areas in the past. The plan must mandate a new structure for oceans management. Modern history has proven that sector-by-sector management has failed. Business as usual is not a way forward and not good leadership. Currently, the small print in the remits for the plan is that it will only provide “Recommendations for requirements for commercial activities in the different areas of the sea region, i.e. a zone-based plan for activities”. If this is to become a real improvement, the plan must be equipped with both an enforcing body and a monitoring system.

Read more detailed Greenpeace comments to the Integrated Management Plan (Norwegian)>>

See what the Norwegian Environment Ministry says about current ambitions for the Integrated Management Plan >>

Norwegian Environment Ministry site on all the Lofoten-Barents issues (Norwegian)>>

Save the Lofoten Islands!

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Save the Lofoten Islands!

Why Lofoten is so special

Oil companies pressure for access

Increased oil tanker traffic and lack of emergency plans

Over-fishing, factory fishing and bottom trawling

An Integrated Management Plan for Lofoten and Barents Sea: An opportunity that must not be lost