Norway and the EU have reached a new political understanding with relation to the fisheries in the Northeast Arctic, in 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 EU 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,” said Virginijus Sinkevičius, EU Commissioner for the Environment, Oceans and Fisheries.
Through the understanding, EU fleets are allowed to fish for cod in the waters around the archipelago of Svalbard in line with historic fishing rights. Norway and the EU will also continue to set catch limits applying to EU vessels fishing in Svalbard waters in their legislation.
The understanding furthermore strengthens cooperation on measures in relation to fisheries in the Northeast Arctic, ensuring sustainable fishing. The fisheries covered are fisheries with catches of cod, redfish, haddock and Greenland halibut. In this case, the EU and Norway will engage in consultations regarding such measures.
According to the Commission, both parties will now engage to determine the next steps that they will take to implement the actions.
The reaching of this agreement also provides the opportunity for Norway and the EU to focus on other issues of common interest in the area of fisheries, it said.
The understanding has also allowed the EU to set a definitive total allowable catch (TAC) figure of 19,636 tonnes for Arctic cod in an amendment of the Fishing Opportunities Regulation for 2022, replacing the provisional TAC of 4,500 tonnes, which expired on 30 April.
