UN to dictate where Norway can drill for oil?

Norwegian oil interests are locked in a debate with Norway's fishing industry over seismic surveying of the Lofoten islands area in Norway's arctic region. But the debate may become moot if the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) places the islands on UNESCO's list of "World Heritage" sites.

The UN may add the scenic Lofoten islands off the coast of Arctic Norway to UNESCO’s World Heritage Site list. This would put an end to the on-going debate about whether to allow the oil industry access to the continental shelf in the area.

The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate is currently acquiring seismic data in the Lofoten basin. Fishermen fear that shock waves from the tests scare adult fish away and harm hatchling fish. The fishing lobby was willing to accept six weeks of exploration between harvesting seasons, but technical difficulties have meant that this period has been extended to four months.

So much for national sovereignty.