Norwegian-Russian Fisheries Agreement for 2026: "Noteworthy," says researcher Despite the demanding backdrop, Norway and Russia reached a fisheries agreement for 2026 this week. FNI Researcher Geir Hønneland underscores that this year's agreement shows how vital the fisheries agreement is to Russia. The Norwegian Fishermen's Association's leader, Jan Roger Lerbukt, says the agreement continues to further stability.
Norway and Russia Have Reached a Fisheries Agreement for 2026 After much uncertainty regarding this year's fisheries negotiations, Norway and Russia reached a fisheries agreement for 2026 on Thursday. The parties have agreed on a continued decline in the quota for the important cod in the Barents Sea, among other things.
Fisheries Negotiations Between Norway and Russia Has Started This week, the Norwegian-Russian Fisheries Commission will meet for digital fisheries negotiations for the important stocks in the Barents Sea. This year's process regarding the negotiations has been more demanding than in the past.
Russia’s LNG ‘Dark Fleet’ Returns to Norwegian Waters As Winter Closes Northern Sea Route With sea ice closing the Northern Sea Route often poorly insured shadow fleet vessels are again using the ice-free waters of the Barents Sea. A sanctioned LNG carrier traveled up and down Norway’s northern coast in recent days. Several more are set to follow.
U.S Destroyers, Norwegian Frigate Patrol Arctic North Cape as NATO Forces Search for Russian Attack Submarines off Lofoten U.S. and Norwegian naval forces conducted a joint patrol in the Barents Sea. The Arctic operation comes as part of a large exercise in the Norwegian and North Seas involving theUSS Gerald R. Fordnuclear aircraft carrier and carrier group. NATO forces also conducted extensive aerial searches for three Russian Yasen-class attack submarines which were reported to be operating in the area off the Lofoten.
US Aircraft Carrier Truman Trains With Norwegian Forces in the High North The USS Harry S. Truman and its fighters are now conducting interoperability training with Norwegian forces in Northern Norway. "This demonstrates our allies’ ability and willingness to defend Norwegian areas of interest in the North,” says the Commander of the 132nd Air Wing at Ørland Air Station.
Russian LNG ‘Shadow Fleet’ Operates in Norwegian Barents Sea Multiple LNG carriers of Russia’s emerging dark fleet continue to operate in the waters of Northern Norway spoofing their AIS transponder signal to “disappear” and load sanctioned liquefied natural gas. The vessels carry no or insufficient maritime insurance and fly black-listed flags with a poor safety record and are considered high risk.
Norway Supplied Almost Half of German Natural Gas Imports During First Nine Months of 2023 In a stark reversal of long-standing gas flows, Norway has now fully adopted Russia’s role as Germany’s largest gas supplier. Norway’s share of German gas supply has increased from just under 20 percent in 2021 to 48 percent in 2023 thus far. Meanwhile, Russian gas major Gazprom faces its lowest production in more than 40 years.
US Air Force Conducts Mission Over The Barents Sea as Russia's Northern Fleet Begins Exercises On Monday and Tuesday this week, two American planes flew over the Barents Sea. At the same time, the Russian Northern Fleet is launching a major fleet exercise involving operations in the Barents Sea in the west to the East Siberian Sea.
Norway Aims to Open Arctic Waters to Deep-Sea Mining Norway may soon open waters in the Arctic and sub-Arctic to sea floor mining. The growing demand for important minerals, including copper and nickel, may require this new type of mining, the Norwegian government says.
Norway Sees Greatest Increase in Arctic Shipping Traffic Norway leads all Arctic coastal states in terms of shipping traffic increase the 2022 Report Card finds. Norwegian Arctic waters account for nearly two-thirds of all shipping traffic in the region, ahead of Russia and Iceland.
Norway Now Germany’s Largest Gas Supplier, Future Supply from Arctic To Support Exports Norway supplied 33 percent of Germany’s gas needs in 2022, making it the country’s largest supplier, well ahead of Russia. Norway’s position as a key provider of energy to Germany is set to further increase in the years to come, including from new Arctic fields coming on line and new discoveries above the Arctic Circle.
Faroe Island's Fishery Cooperation With Russia Up For Discussion Increasing political pressure causes the Faroe Islands to now reevaluate their fishery cooperation with Russia. This week, the Faroese Head of Home Rule Govt will meet the Norwegian Prime minister and the two will probably discuss the issue.
Ukraine Wants Norway to Remove Exception Giving Russian Fishing Vessels Port Access Norway's port ban against Russia does not apply to Russian fishing vessels. Now the Ukrainian authorities want the exception to be removed.
Norwegian Ocean-Going Fishing Vessel Fleet Annoyed by New Russian Military Exercise in the Barents Sea “We find it worrying that Russia once again choses to conduct a military exercise in the Norwegian economic zone on short notice and without regards taken for ongoing fishing activities”, says Sturla Roald of Fiskebåt.
Svalbard Gets Exemptions from New Sanctions against Russia “Norway will permit the Russian community in Svalbard to receive necessary supplies as well as shipping out coal in order to not risk violating its obligations stemming from the Svalbard Treaty”, says University of Tromsø Professor Tore Henriksen.
Svalbard Gets Exemptions from New Sanctions against Russia “Norway will permit the Russian community in Svalbard to receive necessary supplies as well as shipping out coal in order to not risk violating its obligations stemming from the Svalbard Treaty”, says University of Tromsø Professor Tore Henriksen.
EU Proposes Closing Ports for Russian Vessels, Norway May Make Some Exemptions The EU has proposed a ban to prevent Russian vessels from arriving at its ports. Norwegian authorities are considering the proposal, though some exemptions may be made.
Sanctions Against Russian Vessels May Become Burden for Fisheries Cooperation, Says Researcher “This is an area in which we should really consider twice and not blindly follow the EU’s sanctions. They neither cooperate with Russia about fisheries in the Barents Sea nor have the fisheries protection zone around Svalbard to consider”, says Senior Researcher Andreas Østhagen at FNI.
Must Interrupt Fishing due to Russian Military Exercises Norwegian fishing vessels have to interrupt fishing in the Norwegian Sea and the Barents Sea due to Russian military exercises in the High North. Norwegian fishermen notify their organization increasingly often.
Russia Test Fires Submarine-Launched Hypersonic Tsirkon Missile for First Time The test took place in the Barents Sea.
Russia Expects Cooperation With Norway in the Barents Sea If Aker BP discovers commercially viable oil and gas resources in Stangnestind, Norway and Russia will be required to cooperate due to the Norwegian-Russian Barents Sea delimitation agreement.
Drilling in the Barents Sea Could Lead to Demanding Cooperation Between Norway and Russia The entire energy world will turn its eyes to the north if large cross-border discoveries are made here, says Kjell Giæver, Director of Petro Arctic.
More than 20 Russian Warships and Submarines Conducting Barents Sea Exercise Russian warships, submarines, aircraft, and helicopters are currently exercising in the Barents Sea to protect Russia’s Arctic border.
Norway and Russia Exercising Together in the Barents Sea Norwegian and Russian preparedness resources are exercising together in the Barents Sea, practicing rescue at sea and oil pollution.
Norwegian Frigate Monitoring Russian Military Activity in the Arctic during Easter The Norwegian frigate KNM Thor Heyerdahl has spent parts of Easter in the Barents Sea, monitoring Russian military activity in Norway’s neighborhood.
Royal Navy Plans to Patrol the Barents Sea With Multinational Task Force In the coming months, Royal Navy ships plan a voyage into the Arctic together with allies.
US B-1s Conducted First Mission from Norway The U.S. B-1 Lancers currently deployed to Norway conducted their first mission of the deployment in and around the Barents Sea Friday.
American Destroyer Completes Barents Sea Patrol The Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Ross departed the Barents Sea, November 1, following 13 days of operation in the High North.
The Political Oil Decisions Resemble A Rave Party with High Drug Factor Commentary: There is something highly symbolic about the Norwegian parliament, Stortinget, yesterday choosing to close its doors when seeking an explanation for the NOK 200 billion Equinor collapse in the USA. Coincidentally, that happened at the same time as news broke that the Norwegian Ministry of Oil and Energy a few years ago manipulated its way into opening southeastern parts of the Barents Sea for oil exploration.
“The Security Situation in Northern Norway is Significantly Different from That in the South” If the Norwegian Ministry of Defense has its way, nuclear-powered American submarines will be allowed to dock in Tønsnes, near Tromsø. Tromsø municipality, however, disagrees. “There is clearly a failure in civilian-military cooperation here”, says Professor Gunhild Hoogensen Gjørv at the University of Tromsø.
“Small, Invasive Sea Animals may Change the Arctic as We Know it” Are southern species already capable of invading the Barents Sea? Marine biologist Raphaelle Descoteaux works to find out. Together with colleagues at the University of Tromsø she researches small sea animals’ quest to reach the Arctic Ocean.
Arctic Sea Ice Shrinks to Second-Lowest Extent Amid Record High Temperatures Following the warmest summer on record in the Arctic, just 3.74 million square kilometers of Arctic sea ice remain. This is the second-lowest ice extent since satellite observations began in 1979 and only the second time that sea ice shrank below 4 million square kilometers.
“The Natural Protection of Russia’s Vulnerable Flank Towards the USA is About to Melt” The Russian navy recently conducted a major exercise near Alaska. Researcher Ina Holst-Pedersen Kvam at the Royal Norwegian Naval Academy says the Russian Pacific Fleet is now exercising in new locations and with a magnitude not seen for a long time.
Norwegian-Russian Cooperation Against Plastic Pollution in the Barents Sea Norway and Russia will cooperate about fighting plastic pollution in the Barents Sea, says Norwegian Climate and Environment Minister Ola Elvestuen following meetings in Moscow.
Novatek and Tschudi to Begin Transfer of LNG Near Honningsvåg in November Novatek’s Yamal LNG will begin ship-to-ship transfer of liquefied natural gas off Norway’s northern coast during the second half of November.
East Siberian Sea Most Dangerous for Arctic Shipping The risk for ship accidents varies across different Arctic seas. The East Siberian Sea has been found to be most dangerous for ships.
