Focus on knowledge for sustainable growth and increased value creation in the marine sector

Norway is the responsible for managing extensive, rich seas in the High North. The Government has set the principle that the management of living marine resources is to take place within a sustainable framework, and must be based on sound knowledge of the ecosystems. This will ensure the maximum sustainable yield from these resources. The Government’s ambition is for Norway to be a leading nation in marine research and management.

Responsible resource management requires sound knowledge about the state of the resources and close control of how they are harvested. The Government will give priority to increasing knowledge of the ecosystems and efforts to combat overfishing in the High North. A proposal for new legislation on the utilisation of all marine organisms found in the wild and their genetic material will be submitted in 2007.

Marine research and monitoring the marine environment and are key elements of the High North strategy, and are crucial if we are to realise the potential for value creation in the marine sector within a sustainable framework.

A sound and well documented knowledge base is essential if Norway is to win credibility and become the best steward of the High North. It is also vital for Norway’s capacity to exert an influence in international cooperation and negotiations on environmental protection and management of the living marine resources in the region. The Integrated management plan for the Barents Sea–Lofoten area will be an important tool for achieving these objectives.

Priority will therefore be given to the following research, monitoring and surveying activities:

• data collection and development of models for forecasting the effects of changes in the marine ecosystems in the High North;
• coordinated monitoring of the marine environment;
• the MAREANO programme to develop a marine areal database for Norwegian waters;
• Research on environmentally hazardous substances.

The Government will also give priority to marine research, with particular emphasis on the farming of cod and other new species. This research will improve the scientific basis for both management and the commercialisation of new farmed species.

The Government will strengthen efforts in marine bioprospecting, i.e. searching for valuable biochemical and genetic resources from living organisms. The Government will provide a suitable framework for commercially viable and environmentally sustainable development of the marine biotechnology industry in the High North. Efforts are also being made to improve the framework conditions and develop legislation on economic and intellectual property rights to the genetic resources in the sea and on the seabed.