The Chairmen of the Fisheries Commission, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs Jørn Krog and head of the Russian Federation's Fisheries Agency Andrej Krajnij, declared JointFish officially open.
The Norwegian-Russian fisheries cooperation is founded on long-term, sustainable management of the fish resources in the Barents Sea and the Norwegian Sea, based on joint scientific research. The Joint Norwegian-Russian Fisheries Commission has met once a year since 1976 to adopt joint resolutions regarding quotas and to harmonise technical regulations and control measures. The Norwegian and Russian fishing fleets have mutual access to each other’s waters.
The Joint Norwegian-Russian Fisheries Commissions has been, and remains, one of the most important institutional links between Norway and Russia.
The intention of both parties in developing this website is to increase access to information on the Norwegian-Russian management cooperation in the Barents Sea and the Norwegian Sea. The website content will include information on the history of the commission, its function, area of application and the research which forms the basis for the joint management of fish stocks. In time, all content will be available in Norwegian, Russian and English.
At its 39th session in October 2010, the Joint Norwegian-Russian Fisheries Commission decided to form a working group assigned to the task of drawing up a proposal for a joint website. This working group held three meetings in 2011 and presented a solution for the initial version of the joint website. The Commission’s goal is that the website can be gradually developed in the future, in line with the requirements of both parties and based on recommendations from a joint working group set up by the Commission.
«This website will be used to communicate to the world at large what the Norwegian-Russian Fisheries Commission has achieved in the Barents Sea through long-lasting and trusting cooperation. We have succeeded in achieving joint, sustainable management of marine resources, benefiting the fishing fleet in the Barents Sea for current and future generations. We hope our cooperation will provide a global role model, which is why we want to share it», explain Andrej Krajnij and Jørn Krog.