Russia and Norway have agreed to set the 2027 total allowable catch (TAC) for northeast Arctic cod in the Barents Sea at 325,000 tonnes, an increase of approximately 14 per cent, the head of Russia's Federal Agency for Fishery, Ilya Shestakov, announced on Friday, October 23.
The decision was reached at the annual Joint Russian–Norwegian Fisheries Commission. The commission sets quotas for jointly managed stocks in the Barents and Norwegian seas, including haddock, capelin, halibut and redfish.
The agency said cod stocks in the northern fisheries basin had improved following a period of decline.
The 2026 northeast Arctic cod TAC was set at 285,000 tonnes. That was 16 per cent lower than in 2025 and the lowest quota since 1991.
In June, Russian and Norwegian scientists advised that 2027 catches should not exceed 312,667 tonnes, which was approximately 10 per cent above the 2026 TAC. They warned that any quota above this level would increase the risk of the spawning stock falling below its limit reference point.
The 2026 spawning stock was estimated at its lowest level since 2000. Researchers expect it to stay below the precautionary reference point until 2029.
In the coming years, the fishery will depend largely on the 2021 year class, which scientists described as moderately strong.
Russia's fisheries research institute VNIRO expects gradual recovery, with the TAC reaching approximately 400,000 tonnes by 2031.
