18 - 20 august 2026
Abstract guidelines NOR-Fishing 2026
Beyond world-class technology
Please read these instructions carefully before preparing your abstract.
Scroll down to submit your abstract.
- The deadline for abstract submission is 23:59 CEST (UTC +2) May 27th 2026
- Notice of acceptance will be e-mailed to the submitting author within June 2026
- The organizers reserve the right to accept or refuse any abstract
- Accepted abstracts will receive complimentary exhibition/conference passes. More information will follow upon acceptance of abstract.
- If you have any questions, please contact us at norfishing@liwlig.no
Writing guidelines
- Abstract must be written in English
- Maximum number of words in total in the abstract body text is 300
- Abstract text: Please include objectives, method, results, conclusions
- Do not include tables, graphs or special symbols, references or key words in abstracts
Submission types
- Oral - in-person presentation
- Oral - digital/pre-recorded
Review criteria
All abstracts will be reviewed by at least two scientific specialists acting as reviewers.
The criteria of manuscript review will comprise quality and relevance.
Sessions at Nor-fishing 2026
Tentative session dates are Wednesday August 19th and Thursday August 20th 2026.
Session chairs:
Ida-Johanne Jensen idaj.jensen@ntnu.no, Institutt for bioteknologi og matvitenskap
Kasper Hage Stjern kasper.h.stjern@ntnu.no, Institutt for historiske fag
Jesper van der Meij jesper.van.der.meij@ntnu.no, Institutt for havromsoperasjoner og byggteknikk
Brede Bjerke Eiken brede.eiken@moreforsking.no, Møreforsking
A challenged fishery sector in change
The fishing sector in Northern Seas faces major challenges. There is a main need for major technological innovations in times with uncertainty in the resource situation and quotas for 2026 and the future. At the same time, coastal communities are experiencing increased military and other unfriendly traffic which.
1. Resources and quotas
According to predictions made by Institute of Marine Research, the fishery resource situation for Northern Seas in 2026 is characterized by reduced biomass of most commercial fish stocks. The biomass of commercial stocks in 2025 was 17 million tons representing a reduction from 35 million tons in 2013. Most stocks are reduced, in particular stocks of pelagic fishes. The stock of North-East Arctic cod (“skrei”) is severely reduced with spawning stocks close to the critical level. The cod quota for fishermen has not been lower since 1991. The situation for mackerel appears even more critical, with a critically low spawning stock of 2.7 million tons as compared to 13 million tons in 2014. The biomass situation for herring, seith, haddock and blue whiting appear slightly better.
There are no clear understanding of the underlying mechanisms for the low stocks. Climate change is suggested, the temperature in surface waters in Northern Seas was 0.5 – 2.5 oC above the normal in 2025. The patterns of migration of stocks may have been affected, and the abundance of copepod zooplankton, important food for juvenile stages and recruitment, is apparently lower than earlier.
2. Fishing and processing technologies
Industry 4.0 methodologies that involve more AI and digitalization are becoming increasingly important in both fishing and fish processing
Fishing technologies is developing driven by environmental concerns and new options made available through digitalization and AI–tools. Fishing has traditionally involved "blind" harvesting and is now in increasing extent involving different precise harvesting methods, with for example species recognition and smarter fishing gear, reduction of bycatch and gear losses causing ghost fishing, and reduction of footprint and greenhouse gas emissions through a greener fishing fleet.
Fish processing technologies are moving from labor-intensive manual methods to high-speed automation and smarter preservation techniques that prioritize sustainability and quality. Modern processing lines involve advanced robotics and AI-driven systems, supporting high precision automated filleting, skinning, cutting and sorting. Beyond traditional canning and freezing, newer non-thermal and ultra-fast cooling methods extend shelf life without sacrificing taste or nutrition. Improved traceability involves sensors and data-driven transparency during storage and transport to minimize spoilage and ensure food safety in the entire seafood value chain.
3. Military and hybrid exposure of fishing fleet and communities
The situation for many coastal fishing communities in northern Norway faces increased tension as the region has become a frontline for Russian hybrid warfare and naval threat. Fishing communities are at the heart of a "shadow war" involving espionage, hybrid operations, provocative exercises and strategic maneuvering between NATO and Russia's Northern Fleet.
Centuries of pragmatic cooperation among communities are being replaced by separations and sanctions, including ban on major Russian seafood companies and restrictions on access to harbors for the Russian fishing fleet. Military intelligence has verified that many Russian fishing vessels are platforms for espionage, equipped for surveillance of critical undersea infrastructure, including data cables. The situation affects livelihoods for people and fishermen are stimulated to report on suspicious events on fishing fields and in their communities, a stressful situation for many.
4. Interacting challenges for fisheries
The fishery sector and fishing communities along the coast are now exposed to a set of co-occurring challenges: The fishing quotas are low for 2026 and predictions are negative also for later years, there is a strong pressure for innovation towards greener and more efficient technologies in fishing and fish processing, and there is a threatening war-like situation for people in fishing fields and in northern fishing communities.
People face doubts regarding their future income, human life and welfare. The economic commitments in ships, gear and houses together with uncertainty in working places are of major concerns. Fish stock management and international negotiation of quotas among countries are more uncertain, and new regulations implemented by fishing authorities may more easily be experienced as more stressful. The situation calls for political considerations and actions to mediate negative effects, actions that may last for several years.
We invite for presentations in the above topics including the interactions following co-occurring challenges of uncertainty of reduced quotas, the need innovations in fishing and fishing technology and the situation of “shadow war” in northern fishing communities.