The meeting was originally planned in East Finnmark near the Norwegian-Russian border. Now it will be Bergen instead, confirms research director Geir Huse at the Institute of Marine Research. – It was the Russians’ own wish. I understood that it was an easier journey for them. They were the ones who recorded it. And it was ok for us, says Huse. Research Director Geir Huse. Photo: Erlend Astad Lorentzen What happens at the meeting on 30 and 31 May will be important in the autumn. Then the negotiations between Norway and Russia on next year’s fisheries agreement will begin. There one must agree on how much each country can fish. But first, the researchers will meet, discuss and give advice on how much can be harvested from the sea. Fisheries cooperation between Norway and Russia Norway and Russia have a fisheries cooperation that dates back to the mid-1970s. Today, this means that the countries together agree on quotas, ie how much fish the two countries can catch. The goal is sustainable fishing. The countries also collaborate on research and control in the fishing industry. The agreement also states that Russian fishermen can fish in Norwegian areas. An important reason is that smoother catches of fish in the Barents Sea are more sustainable. Russian boats can also deliver fish to Norway. It is a secret how the Russians distribute the quotas between their shipping companies. There is far more fishing in the Norwegian zone than in the Russian zone. Some of the best cod areas in the world are found in the Norwegian economic zone. While the cod breeds in the Russian zone, it swims over to the Norwegian zone before it matures. Cod fishing is important for both Norway and Russia. Photo: Synnøve Sundby Fallmyr The meeting will be the only official between Norway and Russia at the moment. The government is one of the few collaborations to protect the fisheries, and supports the implementation of the meeting. But the journey for the Russians is affected by Western sanctions. The solution is a detour of several thousand kilometers. Flight ban for Russian planes Norway and the EU have closed the airspace for Russian planes as a result of the war in Ukraine. But the airlines Emirates and Turkish Airlines still have departures from Moscow to other countries. The Russians can thus travel via Dubai or Turkey to Gardermoen. A stopover in the desert state of Dubai is one of the options for getting from Russia to Norway. Huse says the Russians have stated that they have booked airline tickets. He assumes that they have received a Norwegian visa. As long as Russian citizens are not subject to sanctions and have been granted a visa, they can travel to Norway in this way. The Ministry of Trade and Industry informs NRK. Another alternative is private flights from Russia to Norway, but then the Norwegian authorities must give permission. – We do not know of any Russian flights and we have not received any application, says senior communications consultant, Hanne Risa in the Civil Aviation Authority. Normally, an application for a flight arrives at least two days in advance. NRK has asked the Russian research institute Vniro for a comment on the meeting, but we have not yet received a response.
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First meeting between Norway and Russia in a long time – must travel a long detour – NRK Troms and Finnmark
