ABSTRACT
This chapter is based on documents from Russian and Scandinavian archives and on sources published in Russian that are little known internationally. The main object of this chapter is the Barents Sea, a transboundary basin rich in fish resources. It explains the Northern Sea Route; it also serves as a Russian gateway to the Arctic. The chapter covers a long period, from the formation of the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) on the twentieth century to the establishment of the Joint Norwegian Russian Fisheries Commission in 1976. The commission, which is the major instrument for fisheries management of Barents Sea fish stocks, translates the scientific advice provided by ICES into management tools. The organization of ICES created a formal platform for knowledge circulation, while international oceanographic courses were introduced in the same period, providing opportunities for informal contacts and the transfer of research practices.
