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At the end of December, Norway and Russia reached a fisheries agreement for 2026 and the fish quotas for the important stocks in the North.

The agreement was reached amid challenging conditions, as Russia's reactions to sanctions against two of its fisheries companies have affected the run-up to the agreement.

At the same time, Russia is suspending its participation in working groups under the Joint Norwegian-Russian Fisheries Commission. This was revealed in the protocol.

"Worrying"

As the agreement came into place, Senior Researcher Geir Hønneland at the Fridtjof Nansen Institute specified that the announced suspension is worrying.

"So far, it is unclear whether this will apply to all the working groups under the commission. It is very important for the future management that the research cooperation is not broken, said Hønneland.

Norway and Russia manage Northeast Arctic cod, Northeast Arctic haddock, capelin, Greenland halibut, and beaked redfish as joint stocks. For decades, the two countries have cooperated on fisheries research, forming the basis for the stock management.

Downscale

To HNN, the Norwegian Fisheries and Ocean Policy Minister, Marianne Sivertsen Næss (Labor), stated that the Russian side "has not wanted to continue all work as normal."

"This includes a downscaling of work related to cooperation on management and control, the exchange of statistics as well as research cooperation," she elaborated to High North News.

What consequences will this have for the fisheries cooperation?

"It is difficult to predict all consequences at this time. It is important that Norway and Russia maintain a stable management regime, especially considering the situation regarding the cod stock today," replies Næss.

"From that perspective, it is positive that shared technical regulations for the practice of fishing, such as minimum sizes and mesh sizes, have been continued, and that the parties also agreed on a joint Norwegian-Russian research program for 2026," she adds.

Commission working groups

The Joint Norwegian-Russian Fisheries Commission had its first session in 1976 and sets the quotas for the joint stocks each year.

The commission consists of a number of working groups and committees. These include:

• The permanent Norwegian-Russian committee for management and control issues in the fisheries sector (the Permanent Committee).
• Working group for preparation of joint technical regulatory measures for fisheries on joint stocks in the Barents Sea and the Norwegian Sea.
• Working group for conversion factors for products of cod and haddock from the Barents Sea and the Norwegian Sea.
• The Analysis working group.

In 2022, Russian scientists were suspended from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES). The quota advice for the shared stocks is therefore prepared in a bilateral working group between the Norwegian Institute of Marine Research and the Russian research institute VNIRO, following internationally recognized methodologies and frameworks for stock assessment and advice.

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