Newsletter March 2026

Welcome

v. Port Director Mogens Pedersen

Hereby, the 4th edition of our newsletter is published. We hope that you will enjoy reading the newsletter. With the newsletter, we would like to inform you about some of the topics we are currently focusing on here in Hvide Sande Harbor.

It has been a somewhat peculiar winter with a lot of eastern winds and ice formations in the fjord, but spring is lurking around the corner. We probably also need that. It brings more life to the town and also brings more life to the Harbor.

Hvide Sande Harbor has in 2025 had record revenue of nearly 48 million DKK, and a profit of over 7 million DKK. This gives the Harbor the opportunity to continue developing, and right now, construction of a new quay over by Vesthavnen is in full swing, as the back areas there are also being improved. Finally, we have also applied for dredging to 8 meters, so we can handle more tasks here in Hvide Sande.

Happy reading. If you wish to be signed up or unsubscribed as an automatic recipient of this newsletter, you can contact me at mp@hvshavn.dk.

What is happening at the Harbor 

As part of Hvide Sande Harbor's strategic objectives, we are constantly working on better waste sorting. As much waste as possible should be reused/recycled, and the amounts of combustible waste and, not least, disposal waste should be minimized. In the near future, we will install new waste bins at the quays designed for ship waste. Together with the initiatives we have already implemented, we expect better sorting of the various waste quantities, which should contribute to reduced CO2 emissions.

Dredging of the marina has been completed in cooperation with Hvide Sande Shipyard, and the season is now secured for the pleasure boat folks on the fjord side. It is also expected that the fairway from Tyskerhavnen will be cleaned up and prepared for the season.

The relocation of the storage houses on Beddingsvej has been completed, and all houses are now situated in the area close to the sluice.

New wash places have been established at the camper parking spots. Furthermore, we are in the process of installing new payment systems at the camper parking spots, which provide the option for card payment instead of cash, which has been in high demand.

It has become increasingly difficult for Hvide Sande Harbor to use pesticides for weeds, which is why we have now acquired an environmentally friendly version for weed control. The solution consists of a hot water vaporizer that combats weeds with hot water vapor without chemicals.

New outdoor lighting has been established on the external side of the fish auction towards the harbor basin, which ensures new and contemporary lighting for the benefit of those who frequent the quay areas.

As most have noticed, there is again filming taking place at Hvide Sande Harbor. It is Nordisk film that is making a film about Cheminova, and they have found the surroundings in Hvide Sande attractive. The film will be released in 2027.

In collaboration with stakeholders for Skjern Å and the salmon population, a permit has been obtained from the Nature Agency for regulating cormorants at the outflow of Ringkøbing fjord/ Skjern Å. Regulation is carried out to take care of the migrating smolt (smolt is a young salmon or trout in the phase where it leaves the watercourses and migrates out to sea). The permit is valid from March 23 - May 31, 2026. The regulation itself is carried out by hunters according to hunting laws and wildlife management rules from specific areas at the harbor.

No bidders for the area at Sluseøen                   

As previously mentioned, we had a bidding deadline on January 16, 2026, for potential investors for the area at Sluseøen. Unfortunately, there were no bidders. Based on feedback from advisors and others, there seems to have been a concern regarding the lengthy authority processing that is part of such a project, just as some also feel that Hvide Sande Harbor has been a bit too risk-averse.  The Harbor is now in a thinking box regarding how we can move forward. Perhaps as a harbor, we need to work on resolving some of the regulatory challenges, and we are also looking to see if interest can be generated by taking more responsibility for some of the environmental and economic risks associated with the project.

Finally, one might think that the project will be strengthened by the municipality's efforts to establish a swing bridge and City Square. These are municipal projects that have received significant support from especially the Business Promotion Board, but also Realdania, Danish Coast and Nature Tourism, as well as Hvide Sande Harbor. The finished project will be established in 2027. Right now, there is special focus on getting a swing bridge that can handle both practical requirements and the changing weather and water levels.

Henning's anecdotes: Caught by the drawbridge!

If you live in Hvide Sande, you know: The road over the lock sluice is the town's bottleneck if you need to go from north or south – or just drive a harbor truck, you have to go over the bridge.

In the 90s, up to 1,600 ships were locked through each year. Nowadays, traffic has declined, but the stories… well, there haven't been fewer of them.

The drawbridge – the town's best excuse

The drawbridge has not only been for passing through – for decades, it has been the students' best excuse for being late, and has saved many from scoldings and a trip up to the Otter at the principal's office.

When the teacher asked, “Why are you coming now?”, the answer came lightning fast: “The bridge was up, and the ship took an eternity to get through!”

It worked so well that students from the north side also tried their luck – until the teacher discovered that they lived on the north side and didn’t even have to cross the bridge to get to school.

The bridge and police – a collaboration with action movie potential

The bridge has also played a somewhat... shall we say more active role in local criminal history.
The police and the guard have had a good collaboration over the years. Many local officers have drunk a few cups of coffee in the guardhouse, and there have been several small missions where the bridge was the secret weapon.

Summer house burglars with bad timing

One morning in the 90s, the police called the guard: “We are chasing a wanted car driving south from Søndervig. Can you open the bridge?”

“Sure!”, replied the guard. The bridge is opened and stands there like a giant STOP sign, while locals in the queue wonder: “Why isn’t there a ship coming to go through the sluice…?”

In the queue from the north side is a station wagon, and the passengers begin to look increasingly nervous. Suddenly, the doors burst open, and three men take off in different directions: One runs along the bridge and hides at Blåtårn. One slips over onto Otto Peders vej. One disappears behind the pier and hides behind a stack of wood.

The guard could keep an eye on the three from the car and could precisely see where each of them hid. When the police arrived and looked down at an empty car, the guard called the police and pointed them in the right direction where they could find the three from the car. One by one, they were arrested.

The dog kidnappers, who waited patiently

Some years later, the police called again: “We have a couple who stole a dog from a dog kennel that we would like to talk to. Can you open the bridge until we have spoken with them?”

The bridge was opened, and the same situation unfolded: The queue became long, and locals again wondered about the absence of ships.

The couple in the car sat completely still and calm – as if they hadn’t figured out that there was probably a reason why the bridge suddenly stood open without a single vehicle in miles around.

The police arrived, approached the car, knocked on the window, and asked very dryly: “Don’t you have a dog too many in there?”

And that case was also resolved.

So yes – the bridge can indeed be irritating at times, we all know that.
You sit there in the car, looking at the clock, looking at the bridge and thinking: “Well come on… do I have to sit here and stare again?”

But the truth is that even though the bridge can be annoyingly disruptive, it can certainly be used for a lot: it saves schoolchildren from scoldings, it helps the police, and it gives the rest of us a good story to tell! – and then there was just when the bridge closed, but that story will come later.

Have you heard that: Hvide Sande Harbor is working to get the crane that was used to close the canal in 2015 back to Hvide Sande?

Key Figures

We are well into 2026, but still lack the final key figures to provide a complete and accurate overview of the first months of the year. This means that we cannot yet present the overall picture of development at the beginning of the year – but the activity level at the harbor already indicates a good start to 2026.

Fishing in Hvide Sande harbor went well in 2025, especially within industrial fish and crabs. Goods over the quay fell slightly to 141,000 tons from 151,000 tons the previous year.

This positive development in fishing was due, in part, to favorable weather conditions as well as an increasing landing of both industrial fish and crabs, as well as good prices. At the same time, cargo handling over the quay experienced a slight decline compared to last year, where 151,000 tons were handled, in 2025 it was 141,000 tons over the quay.

Despite this small decline in the amount of cargo, it is expected that the harbor will continue to play an important role for businesses in the area, and initiatives are already being worked on to strengthen both fishing and cargo activities in the coming years.

In 2025, the depth at the entrance was good, with over 7 meters in at least one fairway throughout the year. The entrance is surveyed around 60 times a year, and the quality of the depths is assessed each time.

Board's composition

Hvide Sande Harbor has a new board. Hvide Sande Harbor is a municipal self-governing port. This means that the harbor is owned by the municipality, but we have significant independence. However, it also means that one of the first tasks of a newly elected city council is to approve the composition of a new board. The city council has appointed Lennart Qvist and Carsten Bjerg as the two city council members on the board. In addition, they have approved the recommendation from the Southwest Jutland Fishermen's Association of Thomas Rahbek Sloth to the board. Finally, they have approved the proposal that Hans Schneider, Steen Davidsen, Richard Hvas, and Lisbeth Valther constitute the remaining four board members. Subsequently, the board has constituted itself with Hans Schneider as chairman and Lennart Qvist as vice chairman.

A has heard down by the quay: That the sandeel quota this year will be 6,452 tons in area 2 and 8,549 tons in area 1. Expected start mid-April.

A new Fishing House is approaching on the horizon

The first outlines of the future Fishing House are gradually emerging on the horizon. Three prominent architectural firms have submitted sketch proposals for how Hvide Sande's dramatic history can be showcased in new buildings with new exhibitions that could become a landmark for the town. The three proposals are very different, but they all take as their starting point the further development of the existing building mass.

There is a long way to go and much that needs to fall into place before the rescue boat is showcased in a new large exhibition, before the story of the sluice is ready, and before a new exhibition can tell about the incredible development of fishing from hook fishing from the beach over blue seines to today. Work is underway, but for the time being behind the scenes.

However, there is news from the Fishing House in the meantime. The 2026 season includes a new exhibition about World War II on the West Coast and in Hvide Sande. A reconstructed bunker brings guests back to the time when German soldiers nervously surveyed the sea. Is the invasion coming?

Demolition of the rescue station

Back in 2023, Hvide Sande Harbor purchased the old rescue station at Nordhavnskaj with the intention that it will be demolished. The area is to be prepared for new activities.

The rescue station is part of the original Hvide Sande but has not been used as a rescue station for many years, and the building is currently in severe disrepair and situated in a commercial area where more modern buildings are needed. Hvide Sande Harbor has not many opportunities to expand the Harbor, and large parts of our areas are nature-protected areas, so we must ensure that the areas that can actually be used are utilized as well as possible.

We are well aware that it would have been preferable to preserve the building, and we have considered what we can do to keep the memory of the building alive.

We have asked the Ringkøbing Fjord Museums to photograph the building both inside and out. Additionally, we will save relevant parts of the building, such as window frames, rafters, etc., with the intention that other actors can see these things or perhaps even reuse them. We have also considered whether, in connection with the demolition, we could provide an option for people to come and take bricks from there. For many years ago, people could get small parts of the Berlin Wall as a keepsake of that wall, and in the same way, it may be interesting for some to get bricks from the Rescue Station as a memory of it. If you have other ideas for what we can do to ensure that the memory of the rescue station does not completely fade, we would very much like to hear them.

ISO certification, what is it and why is it important?

Hvide Sande Harbor was first certified in January 2023 on the ISO standards 9000 (quality), 14001 (Environment), and 45001 (work environment). We were recertified in January 2026 for a new 3-year period.

The purpose of the certification is a management commitment to ensure a qualified and structured approach to work within the areas of the standards for the benefit of employees, customers, harbor users, and external stakeholders. The latter can include various authorities like the Environmental Agency, the Coastal Directorate, the Maritime Authority, the Traffic Agency, and Ringkøbing-Skjern municipality.

From a management perspective, it means that reporting and evaluation are continuously conducted on all significant parameters within the 3 standards, and work with the standards ensures a continuous improvement of quality, environment, and work environment.

Quay 109 – where past and future meet

The work on establishing Quay 109 is well underway, and as often happens when building further on the harbor's history, the project has also offered encounters with the past. In the area towards Nordre Sikring, we have, as expected, encountered significant obstacles during the work. Here, large boulders and old concrete bags have appeared – remnants from when the canal was closed in the early 1900s.

Nordre Sikring was originally established in connection with the canal's closure in 1915, and historical accounts tell that a violent storm in 1912 washed parts of the then-existing protection away. Back then, large blocks and concrete bags were hastily cast into the water to protect the canal and to rebuild the protection. More than 100 years later, it is precisely these massive materials that we are again encountering during construction work.

It has been exciting to see what has been hiding in the depths, as we have encountered old materials and remnants from earlier times during the work. Each new discovery has given us a glimpse into the harbor's history and the challenges that were managed back then.

Although the encounter with the old blocks has posed challenges in execution, it has not changed the project's direction or significance. The challenges have been managed through technical adjustments and redesigns in close collaboration between contractors, advisors, and the harbor. The work continues according to the revised plan, and the project is still on track for completion.

Quay 109 is an important step in Hvide Sande Harbor's continued development. The new quay and its adjoining back area provide better conditions for handling bulk, project goods, and offshore activities, and strengthen the harbor's flexibility and capacity. At the same time, Quay 109 helps to create a foundation for new opportunities and activities in the harbor – to the benefit of both businesses and the local community.

When Quay 109 is completed, it will be a clear example of how the harbor's history and future are interconnected – built upon the solutions of the past and with an eye towards the next many decades of development.

Facts about quay 109 - Length: 100 meters - Depth at quay: 7 meters - Back area: 3,500 m2