The waters are important for maritime transport, business, recreation, settlement and national security. To protect these interests, Section 14 of the Ports and Waterways Act requires permission for certain activities.
This applies, among other things, to the construction of piers, breakwaters, floating docks, filling, dredging, mooring facilities or other interventions that may affect the seabed, the coastal zone or public traffic.
The application requirement applies to measures at sea, on land and in the air that may affect safety, traffic, defense and emergency preparedness in the waters.
Rivers and lakes that are navigable by vessels from the sea are considered sea in this context. This means that measures that may affect traffic in the Elva, Grisefjorden, Logakanalen and Loia also require an application.
Flekkefjord municipality at Flekkefjord harbour is the permitting authority for most measures that may affect traffic and safety at sea. In some cases, the measure also requires processing by the Norwegian Coastal Administration.
