After record-long and difficult negotiations, Norway and Russia have reached an agreement on fishing quotas for the Barents Sea for the year 2026. A key focus of the talks was the Northeast Arctic cod stock, whose protection has become increasingly important in recent years.
According to the Norwegian Ministry of Fisheries, the total allowable catch for cod in 2026 will be set at 285,000 tonnes. This represents a reduction of 16 percent compared to the quota for the current year. The ministry stated that this measure is intended to significantly reduce fishing pressure. It is the lowest cod quota since 1991.
While cod catches will continue to be restricted, fishermen will be allowed to catch more haddock next year. The total haddock quota will increase to 153,293 tonnes in 2026, about 18 percent above the current level.
Norway’s Minister of Fisheries, Marianne Sivertsen Næss, described the talks as challenging. The negotiations were complicated, among other things, by the stock market listing of two Russian fishing companies. Nevertheless, she expressed satisfaction with the outcome, stating that the agreement makes an important contribution to the sustainable management of fisheries resources in the north.
Russian negotiating circles, meanwhile, emphasized that the agreement does not include any easing of Norwegian sanctions against the Russian companies Norebo and Murman Seafood. Moscow had previously argued that these measures violated the Norwegian-Russian fisheries agreement of 1976. Norway imposed the sanctions in early July, a few weeks after similar steps by the European Union. As a result, the Russian Foreign Ministry summoned Norway’s chargé d’affaires and sharply criticized the measures.
Despite current political tensions, both sides point to their long tradition of cooperation. For more than 50 years, Norway and Russia have jointly regulated fishing quotas in the Barents Sea. Internationally, this cooperation is regarded as an example of successful and sustainable fisheries management.
The scientific basis for the new quotas was provided by experts from the Norwegian Institute of Marine Research and the Russian research institute VNIRO. The bilateral working group used internationally recognized methods for stock assessment. In addition, both countries agreed on a joint Norwegian-Russian research program for 2026.
Heiner Kubny, PolarJournal