Norway and the European Union have reached a political agreement on the fisheries in the Northeast Arctic, the European Commission announced on Thursday 28 April.
The area concerned includes the waters around the Svalbard archipelago and the international waters of the Barents Sea. The agreement ensures sustainable fishing in the Northeast Arctic.
For Fisheries Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius, the agreement with Norway “reflects our joint commitment to sustainable fishing and highlights what can be achieved when addressing matters of common interest together”. The Commissioner will meet Bjørnar Selnes Skjæran, the Norwegian Minister of Fisheries, at the ‘Arctic Frontiers’ conference in Tromsø (8-11 May).
The agreement allows EU fleets fishing for cod in the waters around the Svalbard archipelago to continue fishing in line with their historic fishing rights. Norway and the EU will continue to set catch limits in their legislation for EU vessels fishing in Svalbard waters.
The agreement also strengthens cooperation on fisheries measures in the Northeast Arctic. The activities concerned are those where the following species are caught: cod, redfish, haddock and Greenland halibut.
The agreement allows the EU to set a total allowable catch (TAC) figure for 2022 of 19,636 tonnes for Arctic cod (see EUROPE 12940/10).
Link to the agreement: https://aeur.eu/f/1ec (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)