In that case, it is serious and violates the fisheries agreement between Norway and Russia, according to Fiskebåt.
They are the employers’ organization for the Norwegian ocean-going fishing fleet.
In a letter to the Ministry of Trade and Fisheries, Fiskebåt asks the Norwegian authorities to contact their Russian colleagues to discuss measures to protect small fish in the Russian zone.
– The Russian zone is an important rearing area for cod and haddock, but to date we have not experienced that Russian fisheries authorities have closed areas in the Russian zone to fishing due to too much interference with undersized fish.
That’s what Jan Ivar Maråk, assistant director of Fiskebåt, says.
Russian trawlers at the quay in Kirkenes.
Photo: Kristina Kalinina / NRK
Reason for concern
He says large parts of the Russian fishing fleet chose to concentrate their fishing in the Russian zone last autumn.
Jan Ivar Maråk, assistant director of Fiskebåt.
Photo: Fishing boat
– Russian fisheries authorities are probably not following up on the agreement with Norway to close fishing grounds with a lot of small fallen fish, says Maråk.
Stocks of north-east arctic cod and haddock are in a downward trend, and the last year classes have been below average strength.
– The Russian zone is an important rearing area for cod and haddock, but to date we have not experienced that Russian fisheries authorities have closed areas in the Russian zone to fishing due to too much interference with undersized fish, says Maråk.
Fiskebåt has noticed with increasing concern that large parts of the Russian fishing fleet chose to concentrate their fishing in the Russian zone last autumn.
Since the mid-1980s, Norway has practiced laying and opening fishing grounds in the Barents Sea and the Norwegian Sea to protect young fish.
This is to avoid too many small fish being caught.
Marine researcher Bjarte Bogstad is also concerned about the situation.
– Yes, I would say that we do. We really have the same impression as a fishing boat when it comes to how Russian regulations work in practice.
Marine researcher Bjarte Bogstad.
He says that these small fish are in the Russian zone, and then they have a number of areas that are permanently closed to fishing, partly because of the danger to small fish.
Lower fishing quota
Every year, it is decided how much cod will be pulled out of the sea. In 2013, permission was granted to fish 1 million tonnes of cod.
This year, about half will be fished. The reason is that there is far less cod in the sea.
Bogstad explains the decline by the fact that there are too few fry growing up. But he does not believe that Russian fishing for small fish is the cause of exactly that.
– I don’t think it matters that much for the decline in recent years, but if small fish were to improve now, then we have to take better care of them.
– There is more that we need to be aware of, than that there is a significant explanation for the fact that things have gone downhill in recent years.
Risks irrational taxation
– But it will not be constant over time where there are most small fish, says Bogstad.
He elaborates that on the Norwegian side this is dynamic. This means that you have regular inspections and close and open areas where there is too much mixing of small fish.
– If the suspicion is true, what are the consequences?
– It is because you get irrational taxation because you catch the fish when it is too small, Bogstad replies.
– And then there is a greater risk of drafts if there is fishing that takes a lot of small fish. In any case, it is not rational to fish it when it is so small.
2024-01-19 18:43:27
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