OSLO, May 10 (Xinhua) -- A municipality in northern Norway has forbidden the global sale of luxurious glacier-originated ice cubes to bars and restaurants, public broadcaster NRK reported on Friday.

For four years, Norwegian entrepreneur Geir Olsen has sold ice cubes from Norway's second largest glacier Svartisen for 100 kroner (11.4 U.S. dollars) a piece to bars and restaurants all over the world.

Olsen's company Svaice AS had applied to collect up to 3,600 cubic meters of ice from Svartisen and carried it out by helicopter, which was met with violent protests from environmental organizations, tourism professionals and politicians.

According to Sigurd Stormo, mayor of Meloy Municipality in northern Norway, a majority of officials rejected the application and chose a "completely new plan for the protection and use of the Svartisen area."

The new plan, according to Stormo, will also evaluate whether ice, mineral and gravel deposits in the area can be commercially viable, something that might lead to evaluation of ice cube production.

"But then we are talking for several years ahead. And it must be compatible with the sustainable environment and management of the areas," Stormo told NRK.

Olsen invested 12 million kroner (about 1.37 million U.S. dollars) in ice cube production and had previously told NRK that he will most likely sell the factory if there was no support from the city council.

In a press release, Aase Refsnes, member of the county government, said "I am pleased that the municipal council in Meloy municipality follows the opposition from the county municipality and decides to reject the proposal for withdrawing ice from Svartisen." (1 U.S. dollar = 8.76 Norwegian kroner) Enditem

Related

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)