Norway Seafood Minister Skjæran facing sack – reports from Oslo suggest

Norway Fisheries and Seafood Minister Bjørnar Skjæran could be about to lose his job, according to reports from Oslo.

His replacement is tipped to be another senior Labour politician Cecilie Myrseth (below) , the national broadcaster NRK has said.

Cecilie Myrseth

Skjæran, a former land farmer, who has been in post since Labour and the Centre party formed as new government two years ago, is thought to be reluctant to go.

The prime minister Jonas Gahr Støre looks poised to carry out a major reshuffle to boost the government’s flagging unpopularity which has more to do with the rise in the cost of living rather than the salmon tax.

The coalition suffered a heavy defeat in last month’s municipal elections, suggesting a Conservative return to power in two years time.

But the current Conservative leader, Erna Solberg, has become embroiled in a political scandal involving her husband’s share dealings when she was prime minister.

The station TV-2.no also says sources say that Skjæran will lose his job in a move that has been described as by some senior Labour figures as “incomprehensible”.

Despite his backing for the salmon tax which may be down to party loyalty more than anything else, Skjæran has been seen as an effective minister and a supporter of aquaculture. He has backed moves to expand cod farming and offshore aquaculture, for example.

He has also worked to improve fishing relations and seafood export rules between Norway and the UK.

Cecilie Myrseth (38), who is tipped to replace him, is a psychologist by profession with, it would suggest, little experience about the seafood industry. But she is from the Troms region, a fish farming area. She was elected to parliament in 2017.