Andfjorden, looking towards the island of Andøya. Photo: Asbjørn Håkonseth / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
Norway has created its largest marine protected area to date. Announced on 18 September 2026, the Andfjorden marine protected area spans 1,848.5 km² of sea off the municipalities of Andøy, Harstad and Senja in the far north of the country.
Key facts
The area includes a coral reef north of Steinavær that is about 6 km² in size and 40 meters high.
It also protects Bleiksdjupet, an underwater valley more than 1,000 meters deep.
Its habitats range from coral and sponge forests to kelp forests and shell-sand seabeds, and they serve as spawning and feeding grounds for fish.
Activities that would harm the area, such as dumping, dredging and installations on the seabed, are banned.
Why it matters
Healthy reefs, kelp forests and deep waters support everything from fish stocks to whales and seabirds. Protecting them now helps keep one of the Arctic's richest coastal seas resilient for generations to come.
Worth noting
This is not a blanket no-fishing zone. Rules vary across the area, with specific limits on bottom-contact fishing in designated zones, and a local board will manage the reserve.