The growing scope of problems with shipwrecks and abandoned vessels along the Norwegian coast also applies to the Bergen region. To address this issue, Bergen Port Authority (represented by Christian Hafstad and Hanne Gunnarskog), Bergen and Surrounding Areas Outdoor Recreation Council (BOF) (represented by Sveinung Toppe), and IUA Bergen Region KO (represented by Alf Halsen) formed a project group in 2020, in collaboration with Bergen Municipality.
Bergen Port Authority, IUA Bergen Region KO, and Bergen and Surrounding Areas Outdoor Recreation Council primarily serve a support function in handling shipwrecks and abandoned vessels in the Bergen region. Based on our experience and knowledge, we have developed a regional guide that municipalities can rely on when such vessels appear. The guide is designed generally to be a useful tool in municipalities' daily work.
In our view, the introduction of a mandatory boat registry for recreational boats and liability insurance requirements for purchase and resale of vessels must be established. This would be beneficial both for identifying owners and implementing wreck measures on behalf of the responsible party.
Furthermore, we want to highlight the 'Clean Ocean' work tool, developed by Marfo in collaboration with the Coastal Administration. This tool is specifically aimed at anyone working with marine pollution, and enables planning, mapping, coordination, and prioritization of cleanup activities as well as registration of shipwrecks and abandoned vessels.
See this document for more information.