In The Same Boat (ITSB) is a nonprofit NGO that is 100% dedicated to fighting marine litter.
We are beach cleaners dedicated to combating marine pollution and preserving our oceans. While living on sailboats among the nature we are fighting to protect, we advocate for the ocean, preserving ecosystems, spreading awareness and combating climate change head-on. Using professional methods combined with volunteer effort, we work to create a pollution-free world and restore a thriving ocean.
We are operating in northern Europe focusing on the Arctic areas, but our long-term volunteers come from all over the planet to help out with the hard work.
We take our 12 special built vessels into the most polluted areas, inaccessible and remote, with the most vulnerable wildlife, where no one else is cleaning, to protect precious life and fauna from plastic pollution.
Engaging the industries
More than 90% of the pollution in the areas of the ocean we clean derives directly from industrial activity. Because of that, it’s important for us to collaborate with industries to clean up what’s already in the ocean and, even more importantly, to stop ongoing pollution.
Our corporate members and partners are providing highly valuable support, not only funding, but often technical resources, manpower, knowledge and experience. Together we are creating awareness, both internally in the organizations and in the communities around us.
This movie, set in the early years of our development, explains how we are organized.
Closeness to the ocean
We are running several boats, 12 at the time, and are working on expanding our fleet and resources. We are working for the ocean, and we want to stay close to it, so we do not rent an ordinary office – all our full-time personnel live primarily at sea.
From 2017 to 2024, we cleaned more than 1700 tonnes of plastics from Oslo to Kirkenes, which is practically present along Norway’s entire coastline, and we’ve also started operations in Iceland, the Faroes and the British Islands. However, our main focus has been on the Arctic areas, where we find the most plastics, the most vulnerable nature, and where no one else is cleaning.
Most of our crew consists of young adults between 20 and 25 who travel to Norway from all over the world to participate in beach cleaning for 4 to 8 weeks, and sometimes many months. They are accommodated on our boats and work normally five full days a week cleaning.
We are a publicly registered NGO in the Norwegian register of organizations.
(Brønnøysundregistrene – www.brreg.no)
Our board comprises Rolf-Ørjan Høgset (leader/founder), Alf-Gøran Knutsen, Pippip Ferner, and Kari Prestgaard.
Our organization number: 919 620 978
Our bank account (DNB): 1506.05.34427
Invoice address: faktura@inthesameboat.no