Proposed law on sustainable tourism in Faroe Islands faces criticism over lack of police clarity

A proposed law concerning sustainable tourism, also known as the law on public land access, has not been sent to the police for review. The proposal was circulated among 11 companies and organizations and was also submitted to government ministries. Additionally, it was publicly assessed on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade from January 25 to February 23 of this year.

The Ministry received 95 consultation responses, but none came from the police. Despite multiple references to the police within the legislation, officials expressed that the new law on sustainable tourism is unclear, leaving them unable to act.

These statements came from Johannus Kallsgarð, a farmer from Trøllanesi, after he contacted the police on Monday, July 22. The farmer had closed public access to the land as required by law because he was heading to the mountains. However, around midday, 14 foreign tourists arrived on the scene.

When Kallsgarð requested the tourists to leave, they refused, prompting him to call the police. The response he received stated that there was nothing that could be done due to the law’s ambiguity. According to the legislation, a farmer can restrict access to public land if they need to tend to their land, but the law also stipulates that a regulation must be published on how such closures are to be publicly announced. This regulation has yet to be issued.