Rebellion in the fishermen’s association about the quota announcement – no confidence in the leader – NRK Troms and Finnmark

– Some are so cursed that they are unable to talk. This creates commitment.

That’s what Stig Meyer, deputy chairman of the Hammerfest fishing club, says.

Meyer is provoked by the processing of the quota report, which will be considered in the Storting on Monday.

The fishermen react strongly to the wording of the decision from the industry committee. It states that “the deep-sea fishing fleet shall be given priority” when unused third country quotas are to be distributed.

They believe this has come to light after secret SMS exchanges. These are mentioned by both Fiskeribladet and Kyst og fjord.

The fishermen think this is so undemocratic that on Tuesday they announced actions in a number of coastal communities in Finnmark. Ports will be blocked. Among other things, the entrance to Equinor’s gas plant on Melkøya will be affected.

In Vardø, Vegard Bangsund of the Kystfiskarlaget is very upset. He believes that Fiskebåt and the Norwegian Fishermen’s Association have sent a direct message to the authority without it being rooted in the entire fishing industry.

– You are not heard. You are tricked and bypassed, says Bangsund, who believes that an SMS can have major consequences for the fishermen in the north.

– The Fishermen’s Association is an organization that applies to the entire coast. But they don’t let everyone know that they’ve agreed.

Distrust of leader

The secret text messages were between the management of the fishermen’s team and the industry committee, and were about who gets priority in the distribution of third country quota.

Together with 17 other teams in Norway’s Fishermen’s Association, the Hammerfest Fishermen’s Association has sent a statement that they do not have confidence in the management of the fishermen’s association, after what has happened.

– We cannot have it like this in an organization where there are two to three people who dictate solutions for the rest of the organisation. It doesn’t work, no matter which organization it is, says Meyer.

The Norwegian Fishermen’s Association consists of three member teams. There are Sør Norges Fiskarlag, Nord Fiskarlag and Fiskebåt.

The fishermen in the north are very critical of the influence that Fiskebåt has had in the matter of the distribution of the fishing quotas. Especially when it comes to the distribution key for the third country quota.

– It should be postponed

Kåre Heggebø is leader of the Norwegian Fishermen’s Association. He writes in an SMS to NRK that he will not respond to this statement until the board has dealt with the matter.

Stig Meyer believes that the quota notification should be postponed until everyone has had their say on this point in the quota notification.

This is based on the fact that Fiskebåt has gone the wrong way and used Norway’s Fishermen’s Association without communicating with Nord Fiskarlag, which makes up 50 percent of the membership in the fishermen’s association.

– Based on the fact that the politicians today know what is the basis for this agreement, and if they still want to vote through it, that says something about Norwegian politicians that I would rather not have thought, says Meyer.

– It should be postponed until everyone has had their say, and not just those who sit in the background and pull the strings, says Meyer.

Does not postpone the quota notification

Willfred Nordlund from the Center Party is chairman of the industry committee at the Storting.

He told NRK at the weekend that it is not appropriate to postpone the processing of the quota notification.

Nordlund rejects that this is something the Storting majority has settled in the chamber with the Norwegian Fishermen’s Association.

– This is an agreement that has been reached in the Storting, and has 144 Storting representatives behind it. Overall, the smallest fleet is strengthened. And then there is now a big discussion about a small amount (reintroduced third-country quotas, journal note). A quantity that says that one should perhaps prioritize the sea fleet when we are left with a remainder. This means that you may get something more back to the sea over time, says Nordlund.

Nordlund adds that there is no question of giving all returned third country quota to the sea fishing fleet.

Uncertain about the future

Knut Werner Hansen has been a member of the fishermen’s association since 1973, and he has held several key positions from 1990 to 2009.

Hansen is from Skjervøy in Troms. He has worked in the fishing industry for large parts of his working career.

He points out that it is allowed to record things for the authorities, but that it was the remark in the quota notice and the third country quota that led to noise within the fishermen’s team.

What has come to light recently means that it is difficult to gather the members of the Norwegian Fishermen’s Association.

He believes that the way Fiskebåt has worked is not good. They both work for their cases via the Norwegian Fishermen’s Association and on their own.

– Now it has gone so far and with the deep division like here, I think it is difficult to gather the fishing team, says Knut Werner Hansen.

And he adds:

– It will be tough.