The Danish Fisheries Agency (Landbrugs- og Fiskeristyrelsen) has released a new status report detailing its ongoing efforts to correct serious administrative errors in the country’s fisheries oversight.
Inadequate engine power checks on mussel vessels in the Limfjord first surfaced in 2024. This prompted the agency to launch internal reviews of its inspection processes and quota calculation methods. These reviews revealed significant flaws, leading to a ministerial order in August 2024 to implement corrective measures and prevent future issues.
Deeper Issues Uncovered After Initial Fixes
By January 2025, most identified issues had been addressed. However, deeper investigations uncovered new administrative failures, including poor enforcement of shrimp discard bans, mishandling of penalty points for rule-breaking, and errors in issuing fishing licenses.
To strengthen oversight, the agency hired a legal deputy director in September 2024 and created a new legal office in early 2025. This legal team has since flagged even more concerns across the agency’s control systems.
Full Legal Review Underway
Director Kenneth Joensen acknowledged that the situation necessitates a more in-depth examination of how fisheries regulations are implemented.
“We’re launching a full review of the legal framework behind fisheries control,” he said, “to ensure our management practices are up to standard.”
This process will involve Denmark’s national audit office for EU fisheries funds, which will monitor the agency’s reform efforts through quality checks and random audits.
The agency expects to complete this major overhaul by the end of 2026, with a progress update due by the end of 2025.