Artifical Kelp Forests Have Major Impact Artificial kelp forests were covered with real kelp just four months after researchers placed them in the Melkøy Sound in Northern Norway. The researchers also observed great amounts of cod and pollock fry around the units.
Researchers Are Using Catfish to Combat Sea Urchins In the north of Norway, researchers are now transferring catfish in an attempt to combat the sea urchin and its overgrazing of the kelp forests along the Norwegian coast. Overfishing of the sea urchins' natural predators, such as the catfish, has led to the sea urchins consuming almost 5000 km2 of kelp forests since the 1970s.
Increased Norwegian Quota for the Minke Whale This year, 1,406 minke whales can be caught in Norwegian waters. This is an increase of 249 from 2024. "The Norwegian whaling is strictly regulated, and the minke whale population is in very good condition," says Norway’s minister of fisheries.
Marine Researcher on the Decline in the Cod Population: “Not One Sole Cause” The quotas for Northeast Arctic cod will likely not go lower than in 2025, but it will take a few years before there is a significant increase, says marine researcher Bjarte Bogstad in the Norwegian Institute of Marine Research. "We must have low quotas for a few years in order to have a chance at increasing the cod stock again."
