This area south-west of the Lofoten islands is subject to particularly strict exploration restrictions since it is the main spawning area for cod. It is also an area where oil companies are targeting some of the country's largest potential oil finds.
Hydro had done everything by the book and taken all the required environmental precautions, having been given the go-ahead by the Norwegian Pollution Control Authority, when appeals from environmental organisations were acted upon by the government.
Environmentalists
