Norwegian and Russian fishermen will be allowed to catch more cod, haddock and capelin next year.
Meeting recently in Svolvær, Norway, the Joint Norwegian-Russian Fisheries Commission set next year’s Barents Sea fishing quotas, which are split between the two neighboring countries.
The 2011 cod quota, which has recently been the subject of much debate between environmental NGOs, has been increased 16 percent, to 703,000 metric tons, in accordance with the recommendation by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea.
The 2011 haddock quota has been increased 25 percent, to 303,000 metric tons, while the 2011 capelin has been raised 5.5 percent, to 380,000 metric tons. Meanwhile, the much smaller Greenland halibut fishery will be allowed to harvest 15,000 metric tons next year.
“I am pleased to see that the Joint Norwegian-Russian Fisheries Commission has reached agreement on the 2011 quotas in record time,” said Norwegian Minister of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs Lisbeth Berg-Hansen. “We 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. These strategies have been a key factor in enabling next year’s quotas to be historically high.”
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