Thomas Nilsen

Report reveals high levels of microplastics on Norway's Arctic coast

The amount of microplastics found in blue mussels on Norway’s Barents Sea coast near the border to Russia is more than double of what is measured in the inner Oslo Fjord. Oddbjørn Jerijærvi, collector of samples, says the fishing industry is to blame for 90 percent of all plastic waste he finds in the Varanger Fjord area.
December 11, 2017

Nordic students told to leave Russia

Exit St. Petersburg for 17 Norwegian and Swedish university students.
December 08, 2017

Goliat resumes production

After three months stop for safety reasons, ENI was on Friday granted permission to re-start oil pumps in the Barents Sea.
December 08, 2017

In 2023, the risky part of Andreeva Bay nuclear cleanup starts

Donor countries agree to fund an additional study on how to extract the damaged spent nuclear fuel from Tank 3A.
December 08, 2017

Russia mulls additional two nuclear icebreakers

With Novatek’s second Arctic LGN-plant in pipe, Rosatomflot Director Vyacheslav Ruksha says the Northern Sea Route «simply requires more icebreakers.»
December 06, 2017

Unbiased news important for Russians in Finland

Finland’s state broadcaster YLE is additional to Barents Observer the only provider of Russian language news in the Nordic countries.
December 05, 2017

Russia tightens the screws on foreign media and websites

Looking for a copy of the New York Times or Die Welt for sale in Moscow? Then you should hurry, by January 1st, distribution can be banned.
December 04, 2017

TV2-team «re-accredited» for World Cup events

After massive media-coverage in Russia, Deputy Prime Minister Vitaly Mutko says denying the Norwegian journalists «was due to a technical problem.»
December 01, 2017

Nordic soldiers to wear common uniforms

Cost-efficient and practical as the Nordic countries interact more and more.
December 01, 2017

Norway’s TV2 denied access to World Cup draw in Moscow

Journalist Øystein Bogen and cameraman Aage Aune are being told that they pose a threat to Russia’s national security.
November 30, 2017

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Thomas Nilsen is editor of the Independent Barents Observer with its news desk located in Kirkenes, northern Norway. He has a long experience in media cooperation across the borders in the high north of Europe, both as radio- and newspaper reporter all the way back to the days before the breakup of the Soviet Union. 

Nilsen has been editor of Barents Observer since 2009.

He was Deputy Head of the Norwegian Barents Secretariat from 2004-2009. Until 2003, he worked 12 years for the Bellona Foundation’s Russian study group, focusing on nuclear safety issues and general environmental challenges in northern areas and the Arctic. 

Thomas has been traveling extensively across northern Scandinavia and Arctic Russia since the late 80’s working for different media and organizations. He is also a guide at sea and in remote locations in the Russian north for various groups and regularly lectures on security issues, environmental and socio-economic development.

Thomas Nilsen studied at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology.

Mobile: +47-90573143

thomas@thebarentsobserver.com
@nilsen.thomas