The Norwegian government has decided to establish a new committee to review the obligation system for cod trawlers. The goal is to ensure that more value from the nation’s fisheries stays in local communities.
Fisheries and Oceans Minister Marianne Sivertsen Næss says the current rules are not effective.
“We must turn every stone to make the system function better,” she explains.
What the Duty System Means
The so-called duty system includes three obligations: supply duty, processing duty, and activity duty. Together, they cover about half of Norway’s cod trawler fleet.
- Supply duty requires trawler owners to offer part of their catch—mainly cod—to certain processing plants in Northern Norway, at market price.
- Processing duty means at least 75 per cent of that fish must be processed locally—through filleting, salting, drying, or other methods.
- Activity duty requires some plants to maintain real and ongoing production, helping keep jobs in coastal towns.
These rules were meant to secure jobs, create local value, and keep communities along the coast alive. But many argue that the system has failed to deliver.
A Broad-Based Committee
The new committee will include representatives from industry groups, trade unions, and regional authorities. They will study both the economic and social impact of the system.
One central task is to suggest ways to make sure fish covered by supply duty are actually landed and processed in coastal communities. The committee will also look at how time limits on quota rights affect the supply duty.
One Year to Deliver Proposals
The committee has one year from its first meeting to deliver a report. The government expects concrete proposals for reforms that strengthen the system’s legitimacy and effectiveness.