Norway’s Fish Crime Crackdown
Twenty companies face charges as investigators examine whether coordinated manipulation of catch records has undermined safeguards for fish stocks and coastal livelihoods.
Norway’s economic and environmental crime authority, Økokrim, reported on October 29 that around 30 people had been arrested following operations at more than 50 locations across nine police districts.
The investigation concerns suspected deliberate misreporting when whitefish catches are brought ashore. The operation, first announced on October 27, included Finnmark and Nordland in northern Norway, and Møre og Romsdal on the country’s northwest coast.
Chief Public Prosecutor Elisabeth Harbo-Lervik said investigators had received information and tips about inaccurate catch registration over time. Police suspect several participants cooperated to enter false information on official sales records.
