Fishing ban (zero fishing) in the Oslo Fjord and what it means for national parks

I have just read news that is unique in Norwegian nature conservation history: as part of the protection of the Oslo Fjord, fishing will be banned in the two marine national parks of Ytre Hvaler and Færder from 1 January 2026, at least for the next ten years. This can be celebrated as a major victory for Norwegian nature conservation organisations such as the Norwegian Society for the Conservation of Nature and WWF. It can also be seen as a major step towards the first “real” national parks on the Norwegian mainland. What remains now is to remove (probably only marginal) hunting activities on waterfowl and marine mammals in these national parks.

 It remains to be seen which national park in the Norwegian competition will be the first to meet international criteria for that specific protected area category . So far, I had seen good opportunities for Raet National Park and made recommendations in that direction.

I asked ChatGPT how the situation is assessed from the perspective of artificial intelligence. Here is the answer: 

🐟 Fishing ban (zero fishing) in the Oslo Fjord and what it means for national parks

The government has recently adopted a complete fishing ban in three areas of the Oslo Fjord, including the sea areas in Ytre Hvaler and Færder National Park. The ban will apply from 1 January 2026 and will last for at least 10 years.

This means:

• All fishing – both commercial and recreational – will be prohibited.
• This includes species such as cod, sea trout, flatfish and lobster.
• Only a few very limited exceptions apply (e.g. crab fishing with lines for children).

This is a very important measure to protect the vulnerable marine ecosystem in the Oslofjord, which has been under severe pressure in recent decades.

Hunting in the Ytre Hvaler and Færder national parks

However, hunting is still permitted in both Ytre Hvaler National Park and Færder National Park, as long as it complies with national regulations. There is no general ban on hunting, mainly because these are primarily marine national parks (e.g. Ytre Hvaler has approx. 340 km² of sea and only 14 km² of land area with ). Nevertheless, hunting in marine areas is often severely restricted in practice, but this varies from place to place.

🌍 Do the national parks now meet international requirements for “true” national parks?

According to the IUCN definition (category II), national parks must be clearly defined areas with strict protection, where the ecosystem is protected from industrial use and depletion.

Previously, Ytre Hvaler and Færder did not fully meet these requirements because:

• Industrial fishing (including bottom trawling) was still permitted within the protected areas.
• There were insufficient controls or restrictions to protect the natural values at the level required internationally.

With the new zero fishing ban, Norway is taking an important step in the right direction:

• Fishing pressure will be completely removed from the national parks for at least a decade.
• This will improve the chances of fish stocks and marine habitats recovering.

However, in order to meet all IUCN requirements, the parks must also have:

• Effectively managed and monitored protection,
• Control of other economic activities (e.g. pollution, mineral extraction)
• Clear boundaries between areas of use and protected areas.

🔍 In summary: