Less ice increases the need for new technology – FiskeribladetFiskaren

Research Director Geir Homes deliver Thursday a report to the Minister of Fisheries Elisabeth Aspaker about what IMR need in the future to collect marine data.

 

-The ice-free waters we shall monitor has increased with the size of the North Sea over the last 12 years. We must acquire knowledge about this entire marine ecosystem. For that we need new vessels, new instrumentation and a strengthened long-term cooperation with offshore industries, says Homes in a message on the department’s website.

 

He has this list of priorities for new investment:

 

1. New oceangoing research vessel to replace Håkon Mosby

 

2. New midsize coastal research for northern areas

 

3. Develop monitoring network of new platforms (buoys, rigs, observatories, sliders and satellites) and local infrastructure along the coast (such as fish farming) and utilize the latest in sensor technology

 

4. Develop biophysical models with dataassimilering which continuously receives all available information

 

5. Establish long-term cooperation with ocean-going fishing vessels for monitoring of fish stocks.

 

The Minister of Fisheries commissioned the report on the need for future infrastructure in autumn 2014. The master plan for marine research states that the government will follow up this work.