Former school principal is Norway’s new fisheries minister

Norway, the world’s biggest producer of farmed salmon, has got its third fisheries and oceans minister within half a year as part of a reshuffle of the country’s Labour-Centre Party government.

Marianne Sivertsen Næss, 50, takes over the job from Cecilie Myrseth, who has been promoted to industry minister to replace Jan Christian Vestre who is being given the health portfolio. 

"We have wonderful natural resources in Norway, and the sea has the resources that the world both needs and wants, such as seafood, energy and experiences," said Sivertsen Næss. "I am concerned that our resources should contribute to value creation and activity along the entire coast. The community's resources must benefit the community. The government must pursue an active maritime policy, which ensures people safe and good jobs that we will live on in the future."

Third fisheries minister

Næss will be the third fisheries and oceans minister in the minority government led by Labour prime minister Jonas Gahr Støre. The minority government took office in 2021 and has had a significant number of replacements of ministers, who have left the government. 

A total of 10 ministers in this government have now resigned. Seven of these have resigned as a result of various scandals and three were replaced when Støre reshuffled the government last autumn. Among them was former fisheries minister Bjørnar Skjæran,  who occupied the role for two years and two days.

His successor, Myrseth, was fisheries minister for just 186 days. 

Former mayor

Marianne Sivertsen Næss comes from Hammerfest and has a background as a teacher and principal. Sivertsen Næss has been a parliamentary representative for Finnmark since 2021, and has chaired the energy and environment committee at the Storting.  Sivertsen Næss was mayor of Hammerfest municipality from 2019 to 2021. She was deputy mayor from 2011 until she took over as mayor in 2019.

The fisheries and oceans minister is responsible for implementing the government's policy relating to fisheries, aquaculture, seafood, maritime policy and coastal development, port and sea transport policy, shipping, as well as marine and maritime research and development.