A cod quota of 453,427 tonnes has been set for north-east Arctic cod for 2024 at a meeting held remotely between Norwegian and Russian delegations. This is a 20% reduction compared to this year – but alongside this the largest capelin allocation since 2018 has been confirmed.
‘It’s good that we have entered into a fisheries agreement with Russia, despite the fact that this year we are also in an extraordinary situation,’ commented Norway’s newly-appointed Fisheries and Oceans Minister Cecilie Myrseth.
‘The agreement ensures long-term and sustainable marine management in the northern areas, and is fundamental for us to be able to take care of the cod population and the other species in the Barents Sea. It is particularly satisfactory that we have set a capelin quota of 196,000 tonnes.’
While the TAC for north-east Arctic cod for 2024 is 20% down, there is a lift to the haddock quota to 70,605 tonnes. The allocation for Greenland halibut is reduced by 3750 tonnes to 21,250 tonnes in 2024 and there’s an increase to the redfish quota of 3385 tonnes to 70,164 tonnes.
The big lift is the 196,000 tonnes capelin quota, a substantial increase over the 2023 quota – and more than half of next year’s allocation goes to the Norwegian fleet.
‘We are satisfied that there was a large reduction in the blue halibut quota, from 25,000 tonnes to 21,250 tonnes. There is uncertainty about the situation for this stock, and it is important that the parties show responsibility and reduce the quota. There is also reason to highlight the redfish stock, which is still growing and has reached a level where it has become an important resource for the Norwegian fishing industry,’ Cecilie Myrseth said.
There is a long-standing and extensive research collaboration between Norway and Russia on marine resources and the ecosystem in the Barents Sea, and the parties have already agreed on a joint Norwegian-Russian research programme for 2024.
Russian scientists have been temporarily suspended from participating in ICES working groups. onsequently, the quota recommendations for 2024 for the jointly managed stocks have been prepared this year in a bilateral working group between the Institute of Marine Research and the Russian research institute VNIRO. This working group has followed the methodology and framework that ICES uses for stock assessment and advice.
