Cod catch. (Photo Credit: The Norwegian Seafood Council)
A new fisheries agreement for the Barents Sea for 2015 has been signed between Norway and Russia through which cod quotas will be reduced in accordance with scientific recommendations.
Joint Norwegian-Russian Fishery Commission has agreed on a total allowable catch (TAC) for cod next year at 894,000 tonnes, which is 99,000 tonnes less than in 2014, Nord24informed. This capture limit has been advised by the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES).
Both countries also agreed that the TAC for haddock will remain the same as in 2014 – at 178,500 tonnes while the TAC for capelin will increase considerably, from 65,000 tonnes to 120,000 tonnes.
“This is a good result. We were able to reach compromise solutions that will allow us to both preserve the environment and marine resources, but also ensure that fishermen have favorable conditions for their business,” the head of the Russian delegation stated.
Before reaching the agreement, both countries conducted a fishery survey with the support of the Norwegian Institute of Marine Research (IMR) and the Russian Polar Institute for Fisheries and Oceanographic Research (Pinro).
“We have a very well-functioning system for exchange of fishery data between the countries," Elena Eriksen, from the MRI, told BarentsObserver at a press conference.
Norway and Russia have conducted joint fishery research expeditions in the Barents Sea since 1965, and the data are vital for setting catch quotas by the Joint Norwegian-Russian Fishery Commission.
The MRI informed that on the latest joint expedition it was found out that stocks of cod in the Barents Sea are the second-highest ever observed. However, the situation for herring and capelin appears negative and far below expectations. The most serious situation is for the polar cod, which is about to enter a critical stage.
Data timelines show a trend with warmer Arctic waters and migration of fish. Over the last years, Atlantic cod has moved north while the Arctic cod is either moving out of the Barents Sea or experiencing a major stock decrease.
This year, however, the researchers were unable to conduct research in the northernmost part of the Barents Sea because of large volumes of ice.
These fisheries are controlled by inspections at sea through mandatory reporting at catch control points when entering and leaving the EEZs to land fish, and by VMS satellite tracking for some fleets.