Norway’s environmental and economic crime investigative authority, Økokrim, has raided several fish purchasing locations in the country and charged several people with deliberate and systematic misregistration of fish catches.
“Over time, we have received information and tips about incorrect registration of catches landed at the relevant fish reception facilities,” Økokrim Senior State Prosecutor Elisabeth Harbo-Lervik said in a press release. “When the police receive such information, we are obliged to investigate whether criminal acts are taking place.”
NRK reported that multiple locations were raided, including Myre Fiskemottak in Myre, Norway, and locations in Nordland and Møre og Romsdal. According to Økokrim, the case is wide-ranging, and the raids were carried out with assistance from the Coast Guard, Norwegian Maritime Authority, and the Directorate of Fisheries.
“We assist the police with fisheries expertise,” Karianne Moen at the Directorate of Fisheries said. “We have a well-established collaboration with Økokrim to prevent and uncover crime in the fisheries industry.”
Økokrim said that the investigation is still in early stages, and that it is too early to provide more details on the findings of the investigation.
“Fishing crime affects both the community's resources and the actors who operate legally. That is why the police take suspicions of such crime seriously,” Harbo-Lervik said.
