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History of the Norwegian Coastal Administration
The history of the Norwegian Coastal Administration's areas of activity can be traced far back in time, much further than the history of the Norwegian Coastal Administration itself.
Maritime transport was a prerequisite for settlement along our long coastline, as well as a fundamental factor in the establishment of Norway as a seafaring nation The fishing industry is, and has been, an important part of the economic base and settlement along the coast, and the Norwegian Coastal Administration currently owns and manages close to 800 fishing ports.
The Norwegian Coastal Administration's task has been to maintain a high level of safety and accessibility along the Norwegian coast by the development and maintenance of a maritime infrastructure, in addition to providing various maritime services.
The Norwegian Coastal Administration is a young agency in name. but it maintains the long-standing traditions of its predecessors: the Lighthouse and Buoy Authority, Pilot Authority and Port Authority. The Coast Directorate was established in 1974 by merging the Lighthouse and Buoy, Pilot and Port Authorities.
In 1981 the term Norwegian Coastal Administration was introduced as a collective term for the entire agency, when the regional organisation was established with regional district offices in Arendal, Haugesund, Ålesund, Kabelvåg and Honningsvåg.
In 2002 the directorate was moved from Oslo to Ålesund. The regional offices were assigned special areas of responsibility and represent national centres for various areas of specialisation within the agency. The Norwegian Coastal Administration's shipping company, which is located in Ålesund, was spun off as a separate unit.
In 2003 the Emergency Preparedness Unit for Acute Pollution, which was formerly under the Norwegian Pollution Control Authority (now the Climate and Pollution Agency) was placed under the Norwegian Coastal Administration. This unit is located in Horten, Ålesund (lawyers), Tromsø and Bergen as of 2010.
In 2007 the name Coast Directorate was changed to the Norwegian Coastal Administration's head office. The district offices became regional offices at the same time.
Latest news
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New AIS basestations strengthen maritime traffic monitoring on Svalbard
On September 13, 2019, the Norwegian Coastal Administration deployed a new AIS (Automatic Identification System) basestation on the island of Prins Karls Forland, west of Spitsbergen. This basestation is powered by solar and wind energy, and is the first of its kind in an area without infrastructure.
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Digital Route Service is available from Sandefjord to Haugesund
From June 3, 2019, routes and route information will be available for vessels arriving ports in Skagerrak and Rogaland. This is an extension of the Digital Route Service that was launched in the Oslofjord in 2018.
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Updating Norwegian Sector Lights to Fit IALA Standards
In the period 2019 to 2025, the Norwegian Coastal Administration will be reorganizing the sectors of around 1900 sector lights in compliance with the standard defined by IALA.
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Contact information for transition of sector lights to IALA Standard
Below you will find contact information to persons who can answer questions on the transition of sector lights to IALA standards.
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New whistle blowing channel established
The Norwegian Coastal Administration (NCA) has established a new whistleblowing channel. Employees, suppliers, external third parties and the public may report issues and concerns in a secure manner through this whistleblowing channel.
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