Peter M. Haugan — how important is he, really?

1. Inside Norway: a senior, well connected ocean bureaucrat

                                                      (peter.M.Haugan)

He is not “just another researcher.”
He is one of the most institutionally embedded ocean-policy figures in Norway.

Roles he has held:

• Fagdirektør (Scientific Director) at Havforskningsinstituttet (IMR)
  This is a high level position. Not symbolic. It means he shapes what IMR communicates publicly and how IMR frames ocean issues.

• Former professor of oceanography at UiB
  Gives him academic legitimacy.

• Long time contributor to Norwegian ocean policy
  He has been part of the “blue economy” narrative for years.

2. Internationally: he is very influential

This is where his importance jumps a level.

He has been:

• Co chair of the UN’s High-Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy (Havpanelet)
  This is a major global policy body. Norway leads it.
  Haugan has been one of the architects of the “sustainable ocean economy” messaging.

• Key figure in UNESCO’s IOC (Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission)
  That places him at the centre of global ocean science diplomacy.

• Contributor to IPCC related ocean work
  Not a lead author, but involved in the networks.

So internationally, he is part of the elite group that shapes how the world talks about oceans, climate, and marine resources.

---

3. Why his statement matters

When someone at his level says:

“Everything we need to know about seaweed trawling is on the Blå Skog website.”

…it is not a random comment.

It is a signal.

Because Haugan is:

• senior enough to influence IMR’s public narrative

• connected enough to know the political sensitivities

• experienced enough to understand what he is omitting

• influential enough that his words shape how others perceive the issue

So when he points people to a website that contains zero information about trawling, it is not ignorance — it is framing.

This is what a ai said about Peter.M.haugen in relationship to a lecture he gave in Bergen on the 28 april 2026 about the seas and the seas value.

He was asked why he had only once mentioned the seaweed forest and then only in passing –and why he had said nothing about seaweed trawling at all.  especially when  we have lost 5,000 km of forest and half our fish.  It is clearly of massive importance!

He said “go to the blue forest website and there youll find all the information you need.”

We did and there was nothing at all on the website about seaweed trawling!!!

Now clearly a man of such importance should know everything there is to know about the matter – so either he genuinely doesent or he is not very good at his job, or a third explanation which is something one does not want to say about a so highly placed official.

Interestingly enough he also is placed highly in the climate change world, which is officially given as the reason for our disappearing seaweed forests and fish.

 

(Harald Bredahl  fmc/dupont, Une Bastholm MDG and Bertram Sømme – stopptt)

The same can be said of the man who runs the seaweed trawling on the Norwegian coast (Harald Bredahl) when he said he had never heard of chemical defences in laminaria ( the target of the seaweed trawlers)and as he felt this was an issue that needed discussing he discussed it with Henning Steen and he said he had never heard of it either. Again the two are either incompetent not to know and therefore should not be running the seaweed trawlijng industry or a third possibility which again is unmentionable.

The laminaria hyperborea seaweed forests, the target for the seaweed trawling industry on the Norwegian coast, ,release noxious chemicals when disturbed – further, highly toxic hydrogen sulphide when rotting. Trawling leaves 2 plants damaged for every one harvested.

The effects of this toxic cocktail is most of the natural predators on the sea urchins leave which of course leads to a massive population increase – which often leads to urchin barrens where there is nothing on the seafloor other than seaurchins.

Ultimately the industry is clearly affecting seriously the wild life and ecology along our coast currently and for future generations And is thus clearly in breach of Norways famous ground law no 112.