Quota agreement between Norway and the EU for 2007

Norway and the EU have agreed to a bi-lateral fisheries agreement for 2007. The Parties have also reached agreement on fishing in the Skagerrak next year. The long-term management plan for haddock stocks has been revised with a view to achieving higher yields in the long term.

"With these revisions, we now have management regimes in place for North Sea herring, saithe, haddock and cod. Such management regimes are intended not only to ensure prudent management of fish stocks, but also to contribute to stable framework conditions for the fishing industry," says State Secretary Vidar Ulriksen of the Norwegian Minister of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs.

Monitoring and control

Norway, the Faroe Islands and the EU have cooperated on the development of effective control measures for pelagic fisheries through a special working group since 1999. Even though good results have been achieved in recent years, the focus on controlling pelagic landings will be maintained. The working group is also working on combating illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing (IUU fishing), and it will focus more on controlling whitefish landings around the North Sea.

"I am pleased that we will continue the strong focus on control. The EU has become our closest ally in the fight against IUU fishing, and we have achieved significant results in our efforts to achieve satisfactory control regimes for all fisheries Norway participates in", says State Secretary Vidar Ulriksen.

Quotas

The situation for cod in the North Sea remains difficult, and the total allowable catch has been low for the last three years. The total allowable catch for this species has been reduced further from 23,205 tonnes in 2006 to 19,957 tonnes in 2007, which is the lowest quota ever set.

While the stock of North Sea herring are doing well, recruitment over the past four years has been weak. To ensure the stability of the industry, the quota shall only vary 15% up or down from year to year according to the management rule. Due to weak recruitment, however, the parties have agreed to deviate from this rule and set the quota for 2007 at 341,063 tonnes, which is a reduction of 25%. The Norwegian quota is 98,908 tonnes.

The stock of saithe are in good shape. To ensure that the stocks remain at a high level, the parties have agreed on a quota that is in accordance with the management plan. In 2007 the total allowable catch in the North Sea will be 123,250 tonnes, and the Norwegian quota will be 64,090 tonnes. This is the same quota as in 2006. The quota for haddock in the North Sea will be 54,640 tonnes in 2007.

The Norwegian Greenland halibut quota off Greenland will be maintained at the same level as the current year, while the shrimp quota off Greenland will increase by 500 tonnes. The Norwegian bottom fish quota in the EU zone has been reduced by 15%, and the Norwegian blue whiting quota in EU waters will be 140,000 tonnes in 2007.

The EU's cod quota granted by Norway in the Barents Sea will be 16,974 tonnes in 2007.

The Norwegian herring quota in the Skagerrak will be reduced from 10,883 tonnes in the current year to 9,251 tonnes next year. In 2007 Norwegian fishermen will be able to fish up to 40% of the Norwegian Skagerrak quota for herring in the Norwegian zone of the North Sea.

The total Norwegian shrimp quota in the Skagerrak and the North Sea will be 16,600 tonnes in 2007.

• Agreed records of conclusions (pdf-file)