Bjørnar Skjæran

On 7 July, he announced that the government would be making a quota notification, which would be finished in 2023. According to Skjæran, the notification would emphasise focus on "predictability for the fishing industry and ensure settlement, activity and profitability along the coast". He said: "We want a much stronger anchoring in the industry for the path choices we make. The government is asking for predictability, and that is what we want to deliver. That is why we have also facilitated such a broad and democratic process as we do now".

On 25 October, Norway and Russia signed a fishing agreement for 2023, which would set guides for quotas of north-east Arctic cod, haddock, capelin, halibut and pollock. However, the same day, Russia threatened to withdraw from the agreement if sanctions on Norwegian ports for Russian vessels continued. Skjæran asserted sanctions weren't discussed for the agreement and that the Norwegian government didn't see any grounds for the Russians to suspend the agreement.

On 18 January 2022, Skjæran announced that the new enforcement of harvesting regulations would be postponed until 1 March. He stated: "I have a great understanding that there is a need to get acquainted with the new regulations. I therefore postpone the enforcement of rules that entail new requirements or changes in the new harvesting regulations. This regulation will not be enforced until 1 March. We are all interested in the changes that are introduced taking place in dialogue, and in a good way". The regulations are in many ways the same as the previous one, albeit with a few changes.

Originally, the government had proposed to postpone the construction of the new Ocean Space Centre in Trondheim on 12 May, however on 6 June, it was announced that this decision had been reversed. Skjæran expressed optimism about the pending negotiations about the project. He also requested that 230 million NOK be spared for the project to begin construction in 2022, while also expressing that control of the cost was important for the government.

In March 2021, following a dinner with the Nordland Labour Party in Bodø, Skjæran and seven others gathered in a hotel room for a after-party, breaking local COVID-19 restrictions. After revelations of the incident came to light on 15 March 2021, Skjæran issued an apology. Mayor of Bodø Ida Pinnerød commented "it's about high time that they issued an apology today", while Labour leader Jonas Gahr Støre stated that "it was a clear breach of local restrictions. Politicians have to go in front and abide and respect the rules". The Nordland Police established a case, with lead prosecutor Stig Morten Løkkebakken stating that the participants were being investigated for breech of local restrictions. Skjæran was questioned by police regarding the incident on 24 March. However, the case was dropped four days later, to much criticism by law experts, who argued the case was dropped based on the wrong premisses. Skjæran himself didn't want to question the findings. In April, the case was tried again, but was again dropped, with the Nordland District Attorney concluding that the gathering was not in violation of national or local restrictions.

Following the 2021 election, Skjæran was mentioned by commentators as a likely candidate for a cabinet post. Some of the suggested posts included minister of trade and industry, minister of transport, minister of local government or minister of petroleum and energy.

Skjæran was also elected to the Storting in the 2021 election, representing his home county of Nordland.

Skjæran was appointed minister of fisheries on 14 October 2021 in Jonas Gahr Støre's Cabinet.

On 19 March 2019, it was announced that Skjæran had been nominated to serve as the party's second deputy leader, alongside Hadia Tajik, who had been renominated. Skjæran was formally elected at the party congress on 6 April 2019.

He has a professional background as a farmer and self-employed, but has since 2011 been a full-time politician. Skjæran was elected leader of the Nordland Labour Party in 2011. After the local elections the same year, he succeeded Carl Einar Isachsen jr. as mayor of Lurøy. In 2013, Skjæran was elected a member of the central board of the Labour Party.

He was a member of Lurøy municipal council for 28 years, from 1987 to 2015, the last four years as mayor. He didn't seek re-election in 2015. He was succeeded by Carl Einar Isachsen jr, his predecessor, as mayor. The same year he was elected to the Nordland County Council and was group leader for the Labour Party there. Following the 2019 local elections, he was again elected to the county council, and is deputy leader of the county council group.

Bjørnar Selnes Skjæran (born 28 May 1966) is a Norwegian politician from the Labour Party. He is currently serving as the party's deputy leader since 2019. He has also served as minister of fisheries since 2021. He previously served as mayor of Lurøy from 2011 to 2015.