Norway Maintains Fisheries Agreement With Russia in Barents Sea

European officials are concerned that Norway's ongoing fisheries cooperation with Russia in the Barents Sea may increase security risks across the continent. The Barents Sea lies between Norway and Russia in the Arctic and contains the world's largest cod stock.

It has also become a site for Russian mapping and disruption activities targeting European critical infrastructure. The two countries manage the fisheries under a formal 1975 pact that scientists consider essential to prevent overfishing. Much of the cod stock grows in waters under Russian jurisdiction before migrating to Norwegian zones to spawn.

The arrangement has proved lucrative for both nations. Cod and other seafood landed in Norwegian ports generated roughly $2bn last year according to a Norwegian seafood sales organisation. Russia earned about $666mn in exports from the Barents Sea last year according to the Norwegian Seafood Federation.

He said the issue had been raised with Oslo at every opportunity. "We are aware that Russia is involved in illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing activities, but also espionage, mapping of critical infrastructure and sabotage activities," he said.

The EU is updating its Arctic strategy to address hybrid threats and the protection of critical infrastructure such as undersea cables. Diplomats described the fisheries issue as rarely discussed openly at senior levels because of Europe's reliance on Norway for energy.

"It is a very, very sensitive topic," said one northern European diplomat. " Norwegian officials said Russia's access to Norwegian ports and waters allows authorities greater control over Moscow's activities.

Norway last year aligned its sanctions policy more closely with the EU by targeting two Russian fishing companies that together account for roughly 40 per cent of Moscow's catches. Moscow threatened to withdraw from the agreement but ultimately chose to maintain cooperation.

The two sanctioned companies have since redirected their vessels to waters around the Norwegian Arctic archipelago of Svalbard. Three northern Norwegian ports still receive Russian fishing boats. One senior diplomat from a neighbouring Nordic country said authorities know that some individuals on these boats are not fishermen.

Norwegian officials argue that contact with Moscow has been reduced drastically since the war in Ukraine began and that Russian access has been limited to a small number of ports. They warned that ending the agreement could allow Russia to overfish the stocks.

"Any destabilisation of the management regime could accelerate the decline of these stocks, or in the worst case contribute to a collapse," Norway's fishing minister said. "We are very often accused of siding with Russians on this, but I don't think it's fair," said another Norwegian official.