Former Minister and Fp’s Deputy Leader Fined for Illegal Lobster Storage
In a recent development, former cabinet member and Fp’s former deputy leader, Terje Søviknes, has been fined for illegally storing 36 lobsters. Søviknes, who is currently the mayor of Bjørnafjorden municipality, was reported by the Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries on December 18, 2023, for keeping the lobsters without notifying the authorities in a single net.
The incident resulted in a fine of NOK 15,000, as he had failed to report the storage of the lobsters to the Directorate of Fisheries. Additionally, Søviknes’s boat was unregistered, and he received an order to forfeit NOK 3,000, equivalent to the value of ten used nets, as reported by Fiskeribladet.
Søviknes himself referred to the incident as an "old mistake" from the autumn of 2023, expressing that it was embarrassing. "I’m committed to following laws and regulations," he stated. "The plan was indeed to report [the lobsters], but it was forgotten. It was autumn 2023, after the lobster season. I went on a trip to Kiel and simply forgot to report [them]. Later, I was contacted by the Directorate of Fisheries when they checked the net," he explained.
Also Read: VG: Terje Søviknes caught in lobster control
