- Established in 1976 under the Agreement between the Government of the USSR and the Government of the Kingdom of Norway on Cooperation in the Fishing Industry of 11 April 1975. The Agreement between the Government of the USSR and the Government of the Kingdom of Norway Concerning Mutual Relations in the Field of Fisheries of 15 October 1976 is also a part of legal framework for cooperation.
- The Commission meets annually. Decisions of the annual meetings are reflected in the protocol signed by the Parties.
- At JRNFC annual meetings the Parties set up fisheries management measures for the following year including TACs and quotas of jointly managed stocks (Northeast Arctic cod, Northeast Arctic haddock, Barents Sea capelin, Greenland halibut, redfish) in the Barents and Norwegian Seas, establish technical regulations, exchange fisheries statistics, negotiate fisheries management and control issues, and coordinate the joint Russian – Norwegian scientific research program on living marine resources for the following year.
- In the framework of the JRNFC, the Permanent Russian-Norwegian Committee on Fisheries Management and Control (the Permanent Committee) was established.
More information can be found at: www.jointfish.com.
As a scientific advisor the Polar Branch participates in the annual meetings of JRNFC, meetings of the Permanent Committee and JRNFC Working Groups. It has extensive scientific cooperation with the Norwegian Institute of Marine Research (IMR) (http://www.imr.no). The 60th anniversary of cooperation was marked in 2018.
The cooperation is taking place under the joint Russian – Norwegian scientific research program on living marine resources, that includes yearly plans for national and joint surveys and other research activities. Survey results are submitted to the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) and used for stock assessment and development of scientific advice for stocks regulated by the JRNFC. Polar Branch scientists participate in the meetings of the ICES Arctic Fisheries Working Group (AFWG) and the ICES Working Group on the Integrated Assessments of the Barents Sea (WGIBAR).
The Polar Branch and IMR hold annual meetings of scientists, where issues relating to implementation of the joint Russian – Norwegian scientific research program on living marine resources are addressed in detail. Every other year, alternately in Russia and Norway, scientific thematic symposia are organized. Russian-Norwegian meetings and workshops are conducted on a regular basis, results of research are presented in joint publications.