Norway has a new Minister of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs - Elisabeth Aspaker, who replaces Liesbeth Berg-Hansen as part of the new government''s ministries re-shuffle.
The new government sees the formal dissolution of the current ministry for business and trade (Nærings- og handels- departementet) and the fisheries ministry (Fiskeri- and kyst- departementet).
These ministries will be consolidated into a new ministry for both business and fisheries called Nærings- og fiskeridepartement, led by two ministers: Monica Mæland, in charge of business and trade, and Elisabeth Aspaker, in charge of fisheries.
New Prime Minister, Erna Solberg, said: “Fishing and other use of the seas are businesses for the future with lots of potential for value creation. Fishing has historically been an important industry for Norway. We want to make fishing and maritime businesses equally important for the future.”
Prime Minister Solberg added that the new ministry for business and fisheries will take on responsibility for competition and corporate laws that until now were part of the Justice Ministry. This is to increase competitiveness in Norway and resist further division of the Norwegian economy.
