Press release from the World Heritage Council
MSC Meraviglia (ship launched 2016), 16 July 2018 Geiranger Fjord
Vestnorsk fjordlandskap representert ved Geirangerfjorden- og Nærøyfjorden med omland vart i 2005 innskriven på UNESCO si liste over verdas natur- og kulturarv. Verdsarvrådet for Vestnorsk fjordlandskap har som si fremste oppgåve å arbeide for å ivareta og fremje verdsarvstatusen tildelt Geirangerfjord- og Nærøyfjordområdet i fellesskap.
The pollution in the world heritage fjords must go away
The World Heritage Council for the West Norwegian Fjord Landscape welcomes stricter regulation in the world heritage fjords. The change in the Norwegian Maritime Directorate's regulations for traffic in the world heritage fjords is a milestone for the management of the world heritage area. It is very important that the environmental emissions to water and air in the Norwegian world heritage fjords are greatly reduced and eventually completely eliminated in the years to come.
World heritage status is a national obligation to the international community and future generations. There are great expectations that Norway will fulfill this responsibility in a forward-looking manner. Ever since the inscription of the natural heritage West Norwegian fjord landscape in 2005, the issue of pollution has been on the agenda of the World Heritage Council from the very beginning. Weaknesses in the Norwegian management model for the world heritage fjords were discovered early on. A stricter regulation of the world heritage fjords is therefore absolutely necessary to overcome the pollution, to ensure the world heritage status, the public health of the local population and a sustainable development of the local communities and local businesses around these world-renowned fjords.
The World Heritage Council wants special rules for the World Heritage fjords to avoid the World Heritage status being threatened. No other fjords in Norway are inscribed on UNESCO's list of world natural and cultural heritage, nor are other fjords as threatened by pollution and damage to reputation as our fjord landscape. This therefore requires completely separate measures and it is urgent to clean it up. In Stortingsmelding 35 (2012-13) and 19 (2016-17) it is stated that "Norwegian World Heritage Area shall be developed as a beacon for the best natural and cultural heritage management".
- It is worth noting that the international cruise industry has to meet stricter environmental requirements elsewhere on the globe. After yet another summer of blue smoke and major national media reports on the matter, we are overtime introducing a tightening of the regulations for the world heritage fjords. We put all our trust in the Norwegian Maritime Directorate cleaning up the pollution once and for all, concludes Arne Sandnes, a committed leader of the World Heritage Council.
- We are convinced that the world heritage fjords and Norway can take an international position that drives maritime climate- and environment-friendly development. This is not only about stricter regulation, but also about creating a new space for development, concludes Hans Erik Ringkjøb, deputy head of the World Heritage Council for the West Norwegian fjord landscape.
Contact information: Arne Sandnes, head of the World Heritage Council for the West Norwegian Fjord Landscape, arne.sandnes@norddal.kommune.no Tel: 976 69 990.
Hans Erik Ringkjøb, deputy head of the World Heritage Council for the West Norwegian Fjord Landscape, Hans.Erik.Ringkjob@voss.kommune.no Tel: 971 38 720.