In the 1990s and 2000s, Fanø’s longtime mayor Kjeld Nielsen was a driving force in the environmental organization KIMO’s work to prevent pollution and protect, preserve and improve the marine and coastal environment in the North Sea. As visible proof of the great effort, he has been appointed as the organisation’s first Danish honorary member.
A lot of water has flowed through Grådybet since Fanø’s former mayor Kjeld Nielsen in the 90s became the municipality’s representative in KIMO, the association of Municipalities for Sustainable Seas. He served as chairman of KIMO Denmark for a decade and for a time also as President of KIMO International.
In the 90s the beaches of Fanø and the Danish west coast were blighted by oil pollution largely caused by ships flusing out their tanks in the North Sea. After years of campaigning by KIMO, spearheaded by the municipality of Fanø and the intrepid Kjeld Nielsen, this polluting practice was eventually stopped.
This problem was one of the most important battles that Kjeld Nielsen helped to fight during his time in KIMO, but he was also active and helped put pressure on both Danish and international authorities in a wide range of other environmental matters such as better coastal surveillance and tighter restrictions on the transport of nuclear waste in the North Sea.
As visible proof of – and thanks for – the great effort, he has therefore been appointed as KIMO’s first Danish honorary member – only Albert De Hoop from the Netherlands and Rick Nickersen from the Shetland Islands have previously received the honour.
It is a great recognition of Kjeld’s and indeed Fanø’s great commitment to KIMO and environmental work. We are a very small municipality, but play a big role in KIMO. And we owe Kjeld a lot of thanks, as he took a very activist line during his time as chairman and then president of KIMO and has helped take important steps in the fight against various types of pollution that have affected or could have affected Fanø. When, during my time at KIMO, we succeeded in getting tank cleaning of paraffin at sea prohibited and, based on the stranding incidents in Fanø back in 2018, made a great effort to stop this kind of thing, we have stood on the shoulders of, among others . the great work that Kjeld has done in his time as a member, chairman and president,
said Fanø city council member Christian Lorenzen, who was allowed to present the certificate of honor, as during his period as a representative of Fanø on KIMO Denmark’s board he helped to nominate Kjeld as an honorary member. However, due to COVID-19 and challenges in getting the award through customs, it was only possible to present it now.
We congratulate Kjeld Nielsen on this prestigious award and thank him for his contributions in not only helping bring about a cleaner, healthier ocean but also inspiring those within KIMO to continue with this important work. We salute you!
Fanø Municipality is still active in KIMO and is today represented by Deputy Mayor Erik Nørreby. KIMO consists of the international network of more than 80 member municipalities with national networks in Denmark, the Netherlands and Belgium, Norway, Sweden and Great Britain as well as independent members in the Faroe Islands, Germany, Ireland and Lithuania, which together represent more than six million citizens in several northern European countries.
KIMO represents the interests of the coastal municipalities with a strong voice and influences international organizations in their decision-making processes and works, among other things. for legislation to reduce risks and pollution and increase the protection of coastal communities when accidents occur.