Norwegian fishing vessel returning from the Barents Sea.
Photo: Adobe Stock.
Based on the Agreement between Greenland/Denmark and Norway of June 9, 1992, on mutual fisheries relations, during a digital meeting held on January 8, Norway and Greenland reached an agreement on fisheries cooperation and quota exchange for 2026.
According to the Norwegian Ministry of Fisheries and Oceans' statement on the agreement, it builds on and strengthens the good and long-standing cooperation between the parties, both in the field of fisheries and research.
Norway also noted that this year, the parties have emphasized the sustainable management of marine resources. Thus, in line with the decline in cod stocks in the Barents Sea, the agreement for 2026 involves a reduction in quota levels compared to 2025.
Specifically, with regard to Norwegian fishing in Greenland's economic zone, the agreement stipulates that this year Norway will be able to fish 600 tons of Greenland halibut in west Greenland and 250 tons in the east.
In addition, it is allocated a quota of 15 tons of halibut, 400 tons of redfish, 360 tons of tusk, 100 tons of witch flounder, and 325 tons of other species as bycatch in the east, while concerning cod, Norway will be able to fish 720 tons in western and eastern Greenland.
For its part, regarding Greenlandic fishing in Norway's economic zone north of 62°N, under the agreement, Greenland will have a quota of 2,920 tons of cod, 533 tons of haddock, 454 tons of saithe, and 425 tons of other species (redfish and Greenland halibut) as bycatch in the Barents Sea.
The agreement also stipulates that these quotas may also be fished in the Fisheries Protection Zone around Svalbard, which will apply for as long as the tripartite agreement on capelin remains in force—this includes Russia, with whom Norway also signed a bilateral agreement in December.
"This agreement shows how important close and constructive cooperation between Norway and Greenland is," said the Norwegian Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, Marianne Sivertsen Næss.
"We have found solutions that take sustainability into account while at the same time ensuring activity for the fishing industry. It is crucial that we stand together in the responsible management of marine resources," she added.
As mentioned above, in addition to setting fishing quotas, the Norway-Greenland fishing agreement for 2026 also includes a significant section on research cooperation, which will continue in accordance with the framework agreement, particularly concerning Greenland halibut, redfish, and mackerel.
Among the various initiatives underway that will continue in 2026, the agreement highlighted that, since 2019, Greenland halibut has been the subject of increased research efforts in both Greenland and Norway to learn more about stock structure, migration, age, and growth, with cooperation in data collection, analysis, synthesis, and implementation in stock assessments.
Although the NOURSUSTAIN project has ended, the agreement emphasized that follow-up projects aimed at increasing knowledge about Greenland halibut will continue, as this work contributes significantly to a better understanding of the biology of the species and improves the quality of stock assessments and scientific advice.
In addition, the work of the UArctic network workshops was also highlighted through projects such as a now-completed one that addressed improvements in fishing gear, including escape windows in snow crab fishing, in which not only Norway and Greenland participated, but also Denmark and Canada; and another focused on 'Collaboration for research and education addressing marine pollution and clean-up operations'.
The agreement also reflects that, in the case of demersal redfish on the eastern Greenland continental slope, a joint Greenlandic–Norwegian investigation has identified a shelf population, and the project is expected to continue.
The agreement also recalls that there is general cooperation between Greenland, Norway, Iceland, the Faroe Islands, and the EU on mackerel, particularly with regard to stock assessment.
Finally, the agreement notes that sampling during research campaigns continues, and both Norway and Greenland remain flexible and cooperative with regard to data collection for research projects and stock assessments in 2026.