Norwegian Economy News: - The fact that the ice melts quickly in the Barents Sea

Tuesday, January 20, 2015

- The fact that the ice melts quickly in the Barents Sea – Aftenbladet.no

-ItisafactthattheBarentsSeaisanareawheretheicemeltsveryquickly,actuallyfasterthanorintheArctic.Themoveoftheiceedgeisaclearconsequenceofupdatingfactual,WinthersaystoNRK.

Theiceedgeisactuallymovednorthoverthelastfewyearsandgetclimatemodelsrightintheirforecaststhisisgoingtocontinue.ThenitwillbefreeoficeintheBarentsSea30to40yearsintothefuture,Winthersays.

Solberg:-iceedgehasmoveditself

PrimeMinisterErnaSolberg(H)deniesthatthereisapoliticaldesirewhichhasmovedtheicemarginawayfromindividuallicenseareasintheBarentsSea.

ClimateandEnvironmentTineSundtoft(H)reportedonTuesdaythatthegovernmenthasupdatetheiceedgeinthemanagementplan.

WintheremphasizesNTBthatNorwegianPolarInstitutehearingswheretheydissuadedoiloperationsinseveraloftheblocksinthe23rdlicensingroundintheBarentsSeaisstillvalid,althoughtheiceedgeispulledfarthernorth.

-Nothinghaschangedintermsofourviewonthiscase.Weputforwardourfactualbasiswhentheproposedannouncements23.licensingroundwaspromotedbytheministerlastspring,saysJan-GunnarWintherattheNorwegianPolarInstitutesaid.

ThetimedissuadedPolarInstituteoiloperationsineightproposedblocksneartheiceedge.InadditionwentPolarInstituteintoprohibitdrillingadditionalsevenblocksbetweenJanuaryandApril.

Newdata
GovernmentlaidTuesdayanupdatedlimiticeedgewhichisbasedoninformationthatthePolarInstituteletuntillastyear.Nowthenorthforallareasopenedforoiloperations.

-Westandbyeverythingwehavesaidandwritteninconsultationstatement.Butthisisultimatelyapoliticalassessmentthatweregisterandstandbehind,Winthersays.

-Thepoliticianshavechosentodefinetheiceedgeastheboundaryforareaswheretherearemorethan30percentprobabilityforseaiceinApril,headds.

WhenthemanagementplanfortheBarentsSea-Lofotencamein2011,wastheiceedgedefinedonthebasisofdatafrom1967to1989.Thenewandupdatedlimitisbasedonobservationsfromtheperiod1984-2013.

-Wearegoingtoupdateourdatawithfiguresfrom2014inthespring,somethingwewilldoeveryyeartocome,Winthersays.

Critical

GovernmentcooperationpartiesLeftandKrfbelievesthatthedefinitionoftheiceedgewillbetakenupinParliamentbeforeitisdetermined.Thisisbecausethenewdefinitionmeansthatallthegovernmentcanallocatelicensesfordrillinginalltheareasopenedforoilandgasbecausetheynowlocatedsouthofthenewiceedge.

Strongreactionsagainsttherelocationoftheiceedge

BothenvironmentalorganizationsandpoliticiansreactedstronglytotheproposalforClimateandEnvironmentTineSundtoft(H)toplaceiceedgenorth.BothgovernmentcooperationpartiessaytheywillvoteagainsttheproposalinParliament.

-Therearesothiszoneisvulnerable,andithasbeenfurthersouthinareasthathavebeenrelevantforpetroleumactivity.Thisisnowchanging,anditisalsothebackgroundforthedecisionthegovernmenthastaken,Winthersays.

-Thenewdefinitionwillmakeiteasierforbothpetroleumandotherbusinesses.Thisappliesbothtoshipping,tourismandfishingaswekeepgettinglessphysicallimitationsrelatedtoice.Thisalsoseemstocontinueinthefuture,Winthersays.

BellonarequireNPDchiefdeparting

DirectorBenteNylandmustresign,requireBellona.AdministrationsheleadsviolatetheActandfailsitssocialmission,accordingtotheenvironmentalorganization.TheywantscrutinyofNPD.

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