Petroleum activities on the Norwegian continental shelf are subject to the most stringent requirements for safety and the environment, and Norwegian fisheries are scientifically based and strictly enforced to prevent illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing. Shipping along the exposed parts of the coast is managed through specific lanes to reduce potential harm, and key environmental concerns are addressed through work with management plans for Norwegian waters.
On 29 November 2010 the Maritime Safety Committee of the International Maritime Organization, IMO, adopted Norway's proposed route systems (lanes) off the south and west coast of Norway, more specifically from Runde to Utsira and from Egersund to Risør. Similar measures were established in 2007 between Vardø and Røst for tankers and larger cargo ships. Experience with these route systems are very good.
This national effort will continue through international cooperation, for example in the North East Atlantic Fisheries Commission (NEAFC), the Joint Norwegian-Russian Fisheries Commission, the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic (OSPAR) and the IMO. Norwegian activities in the Arctic Ocean will of course be based on the same tradition and the same principles.