Sweden and Norway open joint Marine Park
Photo: Hvaler Municipality.
Sweden’s King Carl Gustaf and Norway’s Crown Prince Haakon inaugurated marine national parks on each side of their countries’ waters on Wednesday Sept 9. Crown Prince Haakon even took the wheel of the tall ship Christian Radich as he and King Carl Gustaf set course for the Koster and Hvaler archipelago.
The two countries have been working together to protect 800 km2 of the coastline and ocean, striding both sides of the border.
The waters around the outermost islands of the Hvaler archipelago (Ytre Hvaler) are home to marine species and habitats that cannot be found elsewhere in Norway, including unique deep sea coral reefs, as well as fish, seals, sharks and colonies of seabirds.
The national park’s aim is to protect the local fauna and flora for future generations, and encourage sustainable tourism.
Both the Norwegian Hvaler islands and the Swedish Koster islands further south are very popular holiday destinations. The archipelagos are also well know for good diving, and are very popular with divers from Norway, Sweden, Denmark and as far away as Germany.
This unique underwater park is the first of its kind in both Norway and Sweden.
View more images on: Nrk.no / Siste.no
Read more on: Ytrehvaler.no / Kosterhavet.se / Dirnat.no / Interreg-sverige-norge.com
