The EU and Norway have agreed on the quota for 2018. There will be increased quotas for cod,North Sea sand-eel, and pollock.
The negotiations took place in Bergen for five days. Fisheries Minister, Per Sandberg of Fremskrittsparti (Frp) said he is ‘pleased’.
‘There have been tough negotiations, but everyone has been constructive. Both Norway, and the EU are committed to ensuring good management of our shared resources in the North Sea and Skagerrak,’ he said.
The main objective had been to set up quotas for jointly managed stocks. This included cod, haddock, plaice, whiting, and herring in the North Sea and Skagerrak. Additionally, Norway and the EU negotiated quota changes.
Cod, North Sea eels and pollock were the main issues of the agreement:
* The cod stock has been challenged in the North Sea, but the situation has improved in recent years. The quota for 2018 is set at 43,156 tons. The Norwegian cod quota is set at 7,337 tons.
* The quota for North Sea herring is set at 600,588 tons, with a quota of 174,171 tons to Norway.
* The quota for pollock is set at 105,793 tons, with 55,012 tons to Norway.
The quotas for all three species have increased by comparison to 2017.
Norway and the EU also discussed the catch of snow crabs, but without reaching agreement. Norway refuses common EU vessels catching crabs in the waters outside Svalbard.
© NTB Scanpix / Norway Today
