Nesvik out of office but perhaps not aquaculture
Norway’s salmon farmers will soon be dealing with a new fisheries and seafood minister following the decision of the Progress Party (FrP) to leave the country’s coalition government.
The decision means current minister Harald Tom Nesvik, an FrP member, must relinquish the office.
Nesvik, who served as fisheries minister for 526 days, told Fish Farming Expert’s Norwegian sister site, Kyst.no, that the news wasn’t a surprise.
Exit on the cards
“It’s been on the cards for a while now. Such is the world of politics. These things come on a regular basis and I have been well prepared,” said Nesvik, who previously worked in a public relations role for the world’s biggest wellboat company Sølvtrans.
The minister says he will continue to work in fisheries and seafood in the future.
“Now it will be a job search for me. It is definitely fisheries and seafood that is closest to my heart, and I will probably continue in some role within the industry,” he told Kyst.no.
“I’ll see if there are any companies out there that could envisage employing a former fisheries minister.”
Traffic light system
Asked if he might return to Sølvtrans, he said he was going to have all doors open going forward.
Nesvik also told Kyst.no that the main work on Norway’s “traffic light system”, which dictates whether salmon farming can expand in different zones along the coast, is complete and that it is really ready to be implemented.
“But it is natural that the newcomer will be able to influence this work now. The main part is ready, at least,” he said.
Algae crisis
Asked what he thought would be the biggest traces of his time as minister that he leaves behind in the aquaculture industry, Nesvik said: “It is probably among other things our presence when the algae crisis hit the aquaculture industry.
“I have also met all these wonderful people in the industry, and been able to join work in many companies. We have also done a great deal of groundwork on building regulations related to the future fisheries and aquaculture industry.”
Nesvik is quite clear that one of his favourite things in his job is to be out in the field with ordinary workers.
“It is not in an office in Oslo where you create tomorrow’s values,” he said.
