The 39th session of the Joint Norwegian–Russian Fisheries Commission is convening this week in Svolvær. The Commission job is to safeguard the rational and sustainable management of the Cod, Haddock, Capelin and Greenland Halibut that Norway and Russia jointly oversee in the Barents Sea.
On the first day of the session the two sides have agreed to set the total quota for North-East Arctic Cod for 2011 at 703,000 tons in accordance with the management rule and recommendation by ICES. Record shows that this agreement is an increase of 16 percent over 2010. They have also agreed to set the total quota for North-East Arctic Haddock for 2011 at 303,000 tons in accordance with the management rule and recommendation by ICES. This is an increase of 25 percent over 2010.
Both the sides agreed to set the total quota for Capelin for 2011 at 380,000 tons in accordance with the management rule and recommendation by ICES. This is an increase of 5.5 percent over 2010. And to set the total quota for Greenland Halibut for 2011 at 15,000 tons, in line with the agreement made at the 38th session, and to continue working during the present session on the technical regulatory measures for the Greenland Halibut catch in 2011.
The Norwegian Minister of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs, Lisbeth Berg-Hansen coment of the agreement that it is good to see the Joint Norwegian–Russian Fisheries Commission has reached agreement on the 2011 quotas in record time. He told that the Norwegians are adhering to the long-term management strategies previously agreed on by the Commission, which form the basis of the advice given by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea.
