Norway and the European Union have reached a new political understanding with relation to the fisheries in the Northeast Arctic, namely ICES subareas 1 and 2, the European Commission has confirmed.
The area concerned includes the waters around the archipelago of Svalbard and the international waters of the Barents Sea, with the agreement ensuring sustainable fishing in the region while also providing certainty for E.U. fleets fishing in that area.
“The understanding with Norway reflects our joint commitment to sustainable fishing and highlights what can be achieved when addressing matters of common interest together. We look forward to continuing and further strengthening our joint efforts in the area of fisheries,” E.U. Commissioner for the Environment, Oceans, and Fisheries Virginijus Sinkevičius said.
Through the understanding, E.U. fleets are allowed to fish for cod in the waters around the archipelago of Svalbard in line with historic fishing rights. Norway and the E.U. will also continue to set catch limits applying to E.U. vessels fishing in Svalbard waters in their legislation.
The commission said the agreement would also strengthen cooperation measures and ensure sustainable fishing with regard to fisheries in the Northeast Arctic, covering catches of cod, redfish, haddock, and Greenland halibut. It said both parties would now engage to determine the next steps in regard to implementation.
The agreement has allowed the E.U. to set a definitive total allowable catch (TAC) figure of 19,636 metric tons (MT) for Arctic cod in an amendment of the Fishing Opportunities Regulation for 2022, replacing the provisional TAC of 4,500 MT, which expired on 30 April.
Photo courtesy of Wirestock Creators/Shutterstock
