CATCHES

This register covers all commercial catches landed in Norway by Norwegian and foreign vessels and catches landed by Norwegian vessels abroad, as well as recreational fishing in the sea if the catches are sold via the sales organizations. The data in the register are landed product weight rounded off to round weight using conversion factors.

With effect from 2005, the «landing note» issued for postponed sales of fish was gradually integrated into the register.

The content of the «sales note», along with information required by the sales cooperatives regarding sale of the fish, also includes necessary information for fisheries management, such as catch area, gear used and registration mark of the fishing vessel.

The information in the register is utilised for Norwegian fisheries management, in order to achieve sustainable management of the fish stocks, monitor development of the fish, compile reports, enter into agreements regarding quotas and catch regulations, and to fulfil Norway's obligation for reporting to international organisations such as the FAO, OECD, ICES, NAFO, NEAFC, EUROSTAT and CCAMLR.

The Russian fisheries authorities base their reporting on catch reports received from the vessel captains. Reported catches are quality assured by comparing reports with information on export of fish and fish products, with monthly reports from ship owners regarding catches landed, information reported in the NEAFC's Port-State Control form when landing catches in third countries, and information exchanged between the parties regarding catches landed in each other's ports, by individual vessel.

Norway and Russia exchange information on a monthly basis regarding:

• catches landed by each party in the other party's ports, by individual vessel
• the parties' reports of catches of quota-regulated species in the Norwegian economic zone and the Russian economic zone
• catch statistics for cod, haddock, capelin, blue whiting and shrimp in ICES I and II