Barents Sea Haddock Quota Rises for 2026: The 153,293-Tonne Decision Behind a Bigger Frozen Whitefish Outlook

Norway and Russia have agreed to increase the Northeast Arctic (Barents Sea) haddock quota for 2026 to 153,293 tonnes, marking an 18% rise compared with 2025. In the same announcement, Norway confirmed its share will be 76,345 tonnes.

This is notable news for the frozen seafood industry because Northeast Arctic haddock is a core raw material for frozen haddock fillets, portions, and blocks that feed retail and foodservice programs across Europe and other import markets. Unlike many seafood headlines that revolve around corporate earnings or acquisitions, this is a supply-setting decision: it defines how much haddock can be landed under the joint management framework in one of the world’s most important fishing regions.

The headline numbers: what was decided in December 2025

Norway’s government published the key elements of the Norwegian–Russian fisheries agreement for 2026 on 18 December 2025. In that summary, the haddock line is straightforward: 153,293 tonnes total, +18% year-on-year, and 76,345 tonnes allocated to Norway.

SeafoodSource, reporting on the same agreement, added the Russia split: Russia’s haddock share is 76,948 MT, slightly higher than Norway’s share. That outlet also placed the haddock decision inside the wider quota package that includes cod, Greenland halibut, and capelin.

Although the agreement contains multiple species, haddock’s increase stands out because it comes at the same moment the Northeast Arctic cod quota was cut (in that same deal) to a multi-decade low. Norway’s government stated the cod quota for 2026 is set at 285,000 tonnes, a 16% reduction, and described it as the lowest since 1991. Reuters carried the cod framing as well, while also highlighting the haddock increase as the “upside” inside an otherwise tightening whitefish set.

Where 153,293 tonnes comes from: the scientific advice track

A key detail that makes this haddock story more than “politics of quotas” is that 153,293 tonnes is not only the final quota figure—it also appears as the recommended catch ceiling in the 2026 haddock advice published earlier in 2025 by the joint Russian–Norwegian science process.

In a joint IMR/PINRO report titled “Advice on fishing opportunities for Northeast Arctic haddock in 2026 in ICES subareas 1 and 2” (dated 1 July 2025), the Joint Russian-Norwegian working group on Arctic Fisheries (JRN-AFWG) stated: “catches in 2026 should be no more than 153,293 tonnes” when the Joint Norwegian–Russian Fisheries Commission management plan is applied.

The same report explains why the recommended 2026 level looks higher than the prior year’s cap. It notes that the total catch (2025) is 130,000 tonnes (the TAC set by the 54th JRNFC), and in the catch-options table it shows the 2026 advice value (153,293) is 18% higher than the 2025 TAC and 43% higher than the advice for 2025, attributing the increase to “an increasing stock trend.”

That matters because it ties the 2026 quota increase to a documented assessment pathway rather than a one-off negotiation swing.

What the management plan says (and why quotas can move up)

The haddock advice report also summarises the harvest control rule (HCR) used under the Joint Norwegian–Russian Fisheries Commission management plan. In plain terms, the HCR is designed to avoid abrupt year-to-year swings unless the stock drops below key thresholds.

The report states that haddock TAC for the next year is set at a level corresponding to FMSY, and that the TAC “should not be changed by more than ±25% compared with the previous year TAC.” It also notes a quota-flexibility rule: Norway and Russia can transfer to or borrow from the following year up to 10% of their country quota.

Those rules help explain how an 18% increase can fit comfortably within the plan. The same report’s stock-status section states that fishing pressure in 2024 is below Fpa and above Flim, and that spawning stock biomass in 2025 is above Bpa and Blim. In other words, the report describes a stock position that is not triggering emergency reductions under the plan.

The report also highlights a forward-looking point on stock development: it expects stock, spawning stock, and catches to increase as the 2022 and 2023 year-classes enter the fishery and the 2021 year-class becomes fully recruited and matures. That line is important because it’s a news-relevant explanation for why the 2026 figure is higher than the 2025 TAC.

The quota decision in the wider Barents Sea package

While this article is about haddock, the agreement context matters because quotas are typically read as a “package” by the frozen seafood trade. Norway’s government summary lists other key items agreed with Russia at the same time:

• Cod: 285,000 tonnes total in 2026 (down 16%)
• Greenland halibut: 19,000 tonnes total (same as 2025)
• Capelin: no capelin fishery again in 2026

On the research/assessment track, Norway’s government stressed that quota advice for jointly managed fish stocks was prepared by a bilateral group between Norway’s Institute of Marine Research (IMR) and Russia’s VNIRO using “internationally recognized methodology,” and that the parties agreed on a joint research program for 2026.