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Integrated management plan ready.

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M2 PRESSWIRE-31 March 2006-Norwegian Government: Integrated management plan ready(C)1994-2006 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD

RDATE:31032006

Today the Government of Norway released its integrated management plan for the Barents Sea and the ocean areas off the Lofoten Islands.

"This is a good plan which ensures that fisheries and petroleum activity in the North can be undertaken in an environmentally responsible manner," says Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg.

"The plan provides a foundation for creating new jobs and economic growth by applying excellent environmental technology, strict environmental demands and close supervision. Petroleum activity will be allowed in important areas outside Troms and Finnmark. Environmentally valuable areas off the coast of Lofoten, Vesterlen and Troms will not be opened to petroleum activity in this election term," says Mr. Stoltenberg.

The integrated management plan The aim of the integrated management plan, a proposition to the Storting, is to facilitate long term value creation based on the resources in these ocean areas, while securing the environment. To achieve this, the effects of petroleum activities, transport and fisheries must be understood together. The most important challenges facing the area are transboundary pollution, continued development of ecosystem-based fisheries, combating illegal fishing in the Barents Sea, introduced species and good risk management with regard to oil spills.

The integrated management plan proposes systematic supervision of the ocean environment and measures for managing ocean resources based on the ecosystem. It also emphasises the importance...

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