Institute of Marine Research

Latest from Institute of Marine Research

1. News article14 Oct 2026

   Marine research director: Fisheries management must become more flexible and cautious as the ocean changes rapidly

   • The Institute of Marine Research (HI) says fish stocks in Norwegian waters have halved since the peak year of 2013. Director Nils Gunnar Kvamstø says we should no longer catch as much as possible, but as well as possible.
   • He wants faster changes in policy and management, so the industry gets stable conditions and avoids big swings.
   ClimateFisheriesNature
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2. News article14 Oct 2026

   Northeast Arctic cod has fallen sharply since 2013 as recruitment fails – scientists urge lower fishing pressure

   • Skrei (Barents Sea cod) peaked in 2013. Now the stock is between the precautionary and critical levels. Since 2006, far fewer young fish have grown to age 3 and joined the adult stock.
   • Most years, spawning fish produce enough young that survive their first six months. But too few live long enough to become fishable.
   ClimateFisheriesNature
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3. News article14 Oct 2026

   Warmer Barents Sea and mackerel make one-year-olds the bottleneck for Northeast Arctic cod

   • A new study from the Institute of Marine Research (2026) suggests a warmer Barents Sea may be a main reason too few young cod grow up. This has happened over the past 15 years, even though there were record numbers of spawning fish in the 2010s.
   • One-year-olds are the weak link. Warmer water may be good for adult cod, but fewer one-year-olds survive, so fewer join the adult stock.
   ClimateFisheriesNature
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4. News article12 Oct 2026

   Sea urchins and a heatwave are changing Arctic kelp forests, while researchers urge protecting Norway's existing kelp

   • Marine researcher Karen Filbee-Dexter says Kongsfjorden on Svalbard looks more and more like the coast of northern Norway. Researchers call this borealisation: the Arctic loses its Arctic character and becomes more like the warmer Atlantic north.
   • In September 2026, the water was 3–4 degrees warmer than normal at 10 metres depth. A marine heatwave had lasted two months.
   ClimateFisheriesNature
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5. News article9 Oct 2026

   ICES advises zero catch of North Sea cod in 2027, or at most 8,574 tonnes

   • ICES (the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea) gives two options for North Sea cod in 2027: catch nothing, or catch at most 8,574 tonnes in total. This covers the North Sea and nearby waters: west of Scotland, Skagerrak and the eastern English Channel. Last year's advice was also two-part.
   • North Sea cod consists of three sub-stocks that spawn in different places in the first quarter. The rest of the year they mix and are fished together. That makes them hard to manage as one, says marine scientist Bjarte Bogstad.
   FisheriesNature
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6. News article9 Oct 2026

   ICES advises zero catch of Norway pout in the North Sea for third year running

   • ICES, the international ocean research council, advises that no Norway pout should be fished in the North Sea, Skagerrak and Kattegat from 1 November 2026 to 31 October 2027. This is the third year in a row.
   • Few young fish were born from 2023 to 2026. Bogstad says the stock will probably still be too small in 2027, even with no fishing.
   FisheriesNature
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7. Consultation response8 Oct 2026

   Institute of Marine Research: Offshore aquaculture must not add to the burden on wild salmon and should start in stages

   • The Institute of Marine Research (HI) says fish farming at sea must not make things worse for wild salmon than they are today. That means little disease and few escapes. This is in its response to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries.
   • Many wild salmon die from sea lice from fish farms, and few salmon have returned to the Norwegian coast for many years.
   AquacultureFisheriesNature
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8. News article7 Oct 2026

   ICES advises roughly 10% lower spiny dogfish quota for 2027 and 2028

   • ICES (the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea) advises catching at most 20,124 tonnes of spiny dogfish in 2027 and 20,478 tonnes in 2028. That is about 10% less than the 2026 advice of 22,594 tonnes.
   • Fishers catch far less than the advice allows. In 2025, 4,961 tonnes of spiny dogfish were caught in the Northeast Atlantic, including fish thrown back. This is according to stock coordinator Aurélien Delaval.
   FisheriesNature
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9. News article6 Oct 2026

   IMR researcher Florian Berg admitted to academy for young research talents after herring genetics breakthrough

   • Marine scientist Florian Berg at the Institute of Marine Research (IMR) has joined a respected network for young researchers. IMR sees it as a great honour.
   • Each year he estimates how much herring, sprat and other fish are in the sea, and how much can be caught without harming stocks. This is used for quota advice.
   FisheriesHigher educationNature
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10. News article5 Oct 2026

    Ecosystem survey finds little capelin in the Barents Sea for a second year running

    • The research vessels "Johan Hjort" and "Helmer Hansen" surveyed the main areas where capelin feed on the Norwegian side of the Barents Sea. They found little capelin, which scientists had expected after a weak 2025.
    • As last year, there was little capelin in the north of Storbanken, where there is usually a lot. Russian ships report little capelin in the east too. Russian figures are not ready yet.
    FisheriesNatureScience
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