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The two countries hold their first in-person annual fisheries negotiations in seven years and reach an agreement on catch quotas for 2027.
Norway and Russia signed a new fisheries agreement on 23 October, setting catch quotas for several commercially important fish species in the Barents Sea for 2027.
The agreement was reached following negotiations in Istanbul, Türkiye. This was the first in-person meeting for their annual fisheries negotiations since 2019, with discussions having been held online in the intervening years. The Norwegian fishing industry organisation Fiskebåt said that direct discussions helped the delegations work through difficult technical and management questions.
The Norwegian Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries reported that this year’s negotiations were challenging. Sanctions affecting two Russian fishing companies also complicated the discussions.
Cod quota rises after years of decline
The catch quota for Northeast Arctic cod, one of the Barents Sea’s most economically important fish stocks, has declined for several years, reaching its lowest level since 1991 in 2026. Under the new agreement, the cod quota will rise for the first time in six years, increasing by 14% to 325,000 tonnes in 2027.
Quotas will also rise for haddock (18%) and Greenland halibut (11%), while that for beaked redfish will fall by 3%.
In its June 2026 assessment, the Joint Russian–Norwegian Arctic Fisheries Working Group identified some grounds for cautious optimism, as the 2021 cod generation is expected to contribute to the spawning stock in the coming years. The group projected that the breeding population could increase by 22% between 2027 and 2028 if its recommended catch limit of approximately 313,000 tonnes for 2027 was followed. The quota ultimately agreed is approximately 4% higher than this scientific recommendation.
Managing shared fish stocks
Norway and Russia have coordinated fisheries management in the Barents Sea since 1976. Such cooperation is particularly important for Northeast Arctic cod, which spawns in Norwegian waters but also depends on nursery areas in the Russian sector of the sea.
The new agreement also provides for continued joint fisheries research in 2027 and extends the management rules for cod and haddock for another five years.
Despite strained political relations, the agreement allows the two countries to continue coordinating the management of their shared marine resources.
PolarJournal Team