Russia proposes a 17% increase in the quota for Barents Sea cod in 2026, challenging the joint proposal by Russia and Norway.

The Russian Federal Fisheries Agency (Rosrybolovstvo) stated that Russian scientists, based on the latest assessment of commercial and spawning populations, believe that the cod resources have stopped declining and are recovering, and the catch volume for 2026 should be set at 315,033 tons. Russia pointed out that the joint scientific advice underestimated the cod resources, and the mathematical model on which it was based had significant uncertainties. The final quota still needs to wait for the decision of the 55th Russia-Norway Fisheries Commission meeting at the end of the year. This proposal comes at a time when the European Union has imposed sanctions on Russian fishing giants Norebo and Murman, causing about 45-50% of Russia's cod exports to the EU to be blocked, further disrupting market stability. Norebo executive Sergey Sennikov warned that if Norway continues to cooperate with the sanctions, it could undermine the cooperative basis of the two countries in the joint ...