The stocks that form the basis for the fisheries in the Barents Sea are shared stocks between Russia and Norway. The management body regarding fisheries in the Barents Sea is the JRNFC. This commission was formally established in 1975. The competence of the Commission includes decisions on management strategies, quota allocation and technical properties of the fishing gears.
JRNFC has also the competence to implement control systems to ensure the decisions made by the commission are followed by the fishing industry. The JRNFC thus decides on the total annual catch (TAC) and on allocation of the TAC to Russia and Norway. It also decides on catch quotas to third parties (non-coastal states).
After the size and allocation of the TAC is decided by the JRNFC, the national management bodies (Federal bureau of Fisheries in Russia, Ministry of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs and Directorate of Fisheries in Norway ) divide the national quota on fleet groups, vessel quota, gears to be utilized etc.
