Tourist with 99 kilos of fish at the border: Got 27,000 in fines

A German tourist tried to take 99 kilos of fish across the border – the tourist has to pay dearly for that.

The German was to drive across the border at Narvik/Bjørnfjell, when the car was taken out for a routine inspection. Here the customs found 99.25 kilograms of fish.

– Many people take too much fish with them because it is a very lucrative commodity, says section manager Reidar Krogstad at Narvik/Bjørnfjell customs station.

He states that the limit for how much fish you can legally take out is 18 kilos. If you exceed this, you will be fined and all the fish will be confiscated.

For the German tourist, this meant a fine of NOK 27,000, and no fish to take home.

Must be destroyed

Krogstad does not know how the German tourist got hold of the fish, but says that it is fishing season now.

– Many tourists go to fishing camps along the coast, and take fish home with them.

It is not the first time that the customs office has come across slightly excessive quantities of fish. Krogstad says illegal fish is an important priority for customs.

– Sometimes we find both 200 and 300 kilos of fish. Last year we discovered a trailer that was filled to the brim.

– What happens to the fish now?

– Unfortunately, we have to destroy it. We do not know where the fish comes from or how it has been processed. It’s a very, very bad thing, but those are the rules.