Municipality of Båtsfjord The Fishing Capital of Norway Municipality facts • Located in Eastern Finnmark on the north side of the Varanger Peninsula • The municipality covers 1433 square kilometres • Borders the Municipalities of Berlevåg, Vardø, Vadsø and Tana • The name Båtsfjord probably comes from the word «botn», which means «innermost part of a fjord’» • The Båtsfjorden is 13 kilometers long • All housing in the municipality is concentrated in the municipal centre of Båtsfjord • Population of 2201 • Hurtigruten calls here twice daily • Båtsfjord Airport is Norway’s newest airport • It has 4 daily departures Municipality of Båtsfjord Båtsfjord harbour Health care and social care for all Båtsfjord is one of Norway’s largest fishing villages in terms of All residents of Båtsfjord receive the medical and other care they quantities brought ashore. Guaranteed ice-free harbour with 1850 require. We prioritise measures that prevent, reduce or delay the metres of wharf front with electricity, water and waste disposal. The need for institutional care. The health centre combines all sector harbour also offers 7 floating piers of various sizes. There is also a services for the municipality. rescue boat stationed in Båtsfjord. Services offered: A growing village • Community nursing care and home care We are a growing municipality! At the end of September 2013, • Serviced apartments for the elderly Båtsfjord had a population of 2201. This is an increase of 7% over • Nursing home and infirmary the last three years. • The Fjellheimen dementia care home • Intellectual disability homes Well developed educational facilities The municipality aims to offer user adapted and modern educational Other health and social services: facilities by focusing efforts on its two schools. • Telegrafen - Psyciatric day care centre • Coordinated Care Service which consists of Pedagogical • In 2013, Klausjorda and Nordskogen kindergartens had close to Psychological Services, Public Health Centre for children and 90 places for children ages 0-6 years young people, and Child Welfare Services • In 2013, Nordskogen school, with grades 1 to 4, and Båtsfjord • Båtsfjord Service AS is an ASVL company that offers permanent school, with grades 5 to 10, had a total of 263 students adapted work to the occupationally disabled and work in • Båtsfjord Municipal School of Culture and Creative Arts is sheltered workshops housed in the Skansen community centre and offers instrument • Melkarn Boligstiftelse has flats and houses reserved for people and music classes, as well as art education. The School of with mental disabilities and those with physical disabilities Culture and Creative Arts also offers conducting services to Båtsfjord’s three choirs. In 2013, the school had more than 90 students • There is also an upper secondary school (high school) in Båtsfjord Båtsfjord, the fishing capital of Norway FisHiNg ANd THe FisHiNg iNdusTry Are THe priMAry sOurCe OF income iN BåTsFjOrd, ClOsely FOllOWed By lArge regiONAl compANies ANd OrgANisatiONs iN THe serviCe sector AFFiliated WiTH THe FisHeries ANd FisHiNg iNdusTry. THe total NuMBer OF BåTsFjOrd boats regisTered iN THe vessel regisTer iN 2013 was 54, consisTiNg OF both lArge ANd sMAll vessels. Active innovator Wide range and comprehensive services Numerous exciting and innovative new businesses have been The service sector in Båtsfjord is large and varied. It includes: Ship established in the municipality. Various projects have resulted in electronics, fishing equipment shops, maritime mechanical work- permanent jobs and growth in the community in recent years. The shop, laboratory services, bunkering facilities, bank, car repair shop, municipal department of commerce and industry actively contributes petrol stations, numerous speciality shops (clothing, tools, construc- to facilitating the establishment of new companies and is a driving tion materials, health food, handicrafts, sports equipment and force for increasing competence in the business community.The electronics), kiosks, supermarkets, restaurants, snack bars, a hotel Municipality of Båtsfjord makes resources available and provides and overnight accommodations. loans from its business development and fishing fund on a regular basis. Community work The Båtsfjord Handelstands Fiskerigruppe is an active association Cornerstone companies established in 1946 for the business community and fishing industry. Our two largest cornerstone companies are Norway Seafoods AS, It works to promote the interests of the members of the business Båtsfjord division, and AS Båtsfjordbruket, with a total of approxi- community, while at the same time ensuring that Båtsfjord is, and mately 200 employees. Both are important contributors to the will continue to be, a complete society that meets all the needs of its local community. They produce around 150 000 individual meals residents and the business community. The association has been an every day. invaluable support for the Municipality of Båtsfjord, as well as for sports and culture in the municipality. Several of the companies in the construction, factory and electrical sector are among the largest in the region. The five largest As a result, Båtsfjord has a very high GDP per capita. companies in Båtsfjord achieved a turnover of around NOK 100 millions in 2012. Wild, unique and beautiful BÅTSFJORD HAS UNIQUE NATURE AND A WIDE RANGE OF SIGHTS TO SEE. THE MUNICIPALITY IS LOCATED ON THE BEAUTIFUL VARANGER PENINSULA AND BORDERS DIRECTLY ON THE SOMETIMES WILD BARENTS SEA. HERE YOU CAN EXPERIENCE LOVELY SUMMER NIGHTS WITH THE MIDNIGHT SUN AND WINTERS FILLED WITH NORTHERN LIGHTS AND A VAST SNOwY LANDSCAPE. Magnificent nature wide range of species. Here you will find such rare arctic species as The municipality is surrounded by a landscape preservation area and the Svalbard poppy, Fringed Sandworts and the Svalbard snowy several nature reserves, as well as the Varanger Peninsula National cinquefoil. Large areas of the valley are nature reserves. There are Park, witch is 1804 and with an arctic high mountain landscape and numerous good hunting grounds in Syltefjord Valley, with the untouched, magnificent nature with unique flora and fauna. possibility to hunt both small game and moose. The Stauran bird cliff at the far end of Syltefjorden, stretching Makkaur 3 km and with cliffs over 220 metres high, is one of the largest bird Roadless Makkaur is located at the far end of Båtsfjorden. In the cliffs in Norway. Stauran is world famous for its diversity of past, it was one of the largest towns in the municipality and has kittiwakes, northern gannets, razorbills, white-breasted guillemots, been mentioned in documents dating back to the 1500s. Witch arctic guillemots, puffins and, of course, sea eagles. A colony of trials also took place here. The distinctive Makkaur Lighthouse, with around 250 grey seals also lives here. features of industrial architecture, was built in 1928 and was automated in 2005. Båtsfjord The area surrounding Båtsfjord has numerous marked hiking trails Hamningberg and excursion destinations, including two illuminated trails. Ski trails With its numerous pre-war buildings and structures dating back to are also groomed during the winter. Nordskogen and Båtsfjord Valley the 1700s, Hamningberg is unique in Finnmark, as large areas of the are used for recreation and other activities all year round. region were burnt to the ground during World War II. Today, it is very popular with locals and cabin owners all year round. Syltefjordelva During the summer, it is teeming with crowds from both Norway and This river is 30 kilometres long and one of the best salmon rivers in the rest of the world. The road to Hamningberg is a unique attraction Finnmark. and a designated National Tourist Road. During the peak year of 2012, close to 5.5 tons of salmon were fished from this river, the largest weighing 24 kilos. Varanger Peninsula National Park This national park was established in 2006 and is 1804 square Syltefjord Valley kilometres in size. It was established to protect the unspoilt nature of One of the world’s northernmost birch forests, which covers the the area and is virtually free of human intervention. This is the most bottom of the lower part of the Syltefjord Valley. Of botanical arctic part of continental Norway, with its distinctive landforms and interest is the tall perennial vegetation in the birch forest and, of deposits from the last ice age. Here you will find flora and fauna with course, the calcareous grounds in many of the narrow and south eastern and arctic characteristics. The national park is a central area facing side valleys on the north side of the main valley and home to a for the arctic fox and unique Sami cultural sites. lots of organised activities BåTsFjOrd HAs A Wide rANge OF OrgANisatiONs devoted to CulTure, spOrTs, HeAlTH, reCreatiON ANd NuMerOus resideNTs’ AssOCiatiONs. There are numerous and varied leisure activities, including football, shooting, horseback riding, music and singing. If there is a desire to further develop an existing organisation or start a new activity, the Båtsfjord Volunteer Office can provide the necessary assistance. excellent facilities Almost all types of recreational facilities can be found in Båtsfjord. This includes 100 and 300 metre shooting ranges, an indoor riding arena, motocross track, illuminated ski trails, biathlon facilities, good swimming facilities, a new artificial grass pitch and a multi-purpose sports centre. Båtsfjord sports Club This is the largest club in Båtsfjord and is an umbrella organisation for badminton, football, cycling, swimming, wrestling and skiing/ biathlon. The club has around 500 members. events in Båtsfjord • The Midnight Ski Race for Women is held the first weekend of May each year and has been organised for more than 20 years, having about 600-700 participants in the best years • The Båtsfjordmessa is organised during the first half of June and attracts exhibitors with much to offer from far and wide • «Båtsfjord i Fest» is held the last week in July and offers numerous cultural experiences. The festival is a meeting place for the people of Båtsfjord and is a lively event.