Russia has warned that it may withdraw from the Barents Sea cod agreement if Norway does not lift sanctions on two Russian fishing companies. The deadline is set for 27 September. If Moscow follows through, the effect could be a collapse of the cod stock.
The warning comes after Norway joined EU sanctions this summer against the companies Norebo and Murman Seafood.
According to Øystein Hage, editor-in-chief of the Norwegian fisheries news site Fiskeribladet, the move has escalated the confrontation to a dangerous level.
“The last thing we need is a destroyed cod stock,” Hage said.
Risk of stock collapse
Russia has already said it could set its own quotas and lower the minimum catch size to 800 grams. Both steps would harm the cod population.
Marine scientist Geir Huse has compared the risk to the collapse off Newfoundland in the 1990s.
“It is vital that quotas are cut by 25 per cent, and that small fish are spared,” Huse warned.
If Moscow breaks away, cod could vanish from the Barents Sea. This would hit coastal communities in northern Norway hard. Jobs would be lost, and settlements could wither.
Wider consequences for Norway
Hage warns that the issue goes beyond fishing. A weakened cod stock would damage food security and strike at Norway’s coastal economy. He also notes that Russia may see value in destabilising Norway, given the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Talks are due in October in the joint Norwegian-Russian fisheries commission. Hage hopes a deal can still be struck, but stresses the urgency: “We fear Moscow will choose short-term profit over the future of the cod.”