Cooperating in a time of conflict : Norwegian-Russian science collaboration for fisheries management in the Barents Sea

Abstract

The scientific collaboration between Russia and Norway has been vital in creating the foundation for sustainable fisheries management in the Barents Sea. After Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, the Norwegian government enforced academic sanctions on Russian research institutes as a part of an extensive set of sanctions. The recommendation was to pursue scientist-to-scientist collaborations instead. However, fisheries research is one of the few exceptions to the sanctions. The long tradition of scientific collaboration and management over fisheries between Russia and Norway can be seen as a pillar in the relationship between the bordering countries. There are still some implications for management and science due to the current geopolitical situation in the northern region.

To analyze the matter, the research questions of the thesis are “How is ongoing fisheries science between Russian and Norwegian scientists affected by the restrictions on academic collaboration imposed by the Norwegian government towards Russia?” and “What are the consequences for fisheries management in the Barents Sea, given the changes taking place in the scientific collaboration?”. The questions have been analyzed through data gathered from eight semi-structured interviews and literature.

Both from the Russian and Norwegian sides, scientists acknowledge and value the long cooperation and see its significance for the ecosystems in the Barents Sea. On the political level, the Norwegian government has, through many years, balanced political aims to preserve a good relationship with Russia. However, the tension has started to rise in the last decade. The analysis in this thesis shows that Norway’s decision to exempt fisheries from the sanctions sends a strong message of the importance of collaboration over science and management of fisheries. There is, however, reason to believe that the collaboration will not inevitably be resistant to all geopolitical tension, as the situation can escalate further.