On 16 December, the UK, Norway, Faroe Islands and Iceland concluded a partial agreement on the sharing of Northeast Atlantic mackerel fishing opportunities, as well as on the level of the Total Allowable Catch (TAC) for 2026. This outcome effectively rewards the unilateral setting of excessive and inflated quotas by non-EU countries in recent years, while disregarding genuine, sustainable track records and the legitimate interests of the EU and its fishers. The collective share of the four parties now totals 79.45%, leaving not enough space to accommodate the EU claim based on historical, sustainable track records and legitimate economic interest. The agreement does not only exclude the EU but also Greenland, while doing nothing to prevent overfishing by Russia.

As the four parties agreed that “299,010 tonnes should represent the Total Allowable Catch” for 2026, they deviate from the approach taken by the EU. The TAC and Quota Regulation contains a preliminary catch limit of 156,921 tonnes – 90% of the ICES headline advice for the TAC – for the first six months of 2026.

EU fishers continue to pay the price for years of irresponsible behaviour by other countries, facing a sharp reduction and an unlevel playing field in mackerel fishing opportunities for 2026 and long-term damage to their market position. Therefore, the EU industry calls on the EU and other Coastal States to reconvene without delay and negotiate a fair and equitable comprehensive arrangement between all Coastal States. The EU must make full use of its leverage as the primary market for seafood exports from other Coastal States. Concrete action against the continuous and repeated overfishing is urgently needed, up to and including trade measures. Threats of action are no longer enough.

Tim Heddema, spokesperson for the EU pelagic fishing industry, comments: “This development causes deep concerns and raises many questions. Does this represent a breach of the EU-UK TCA by the UK? How will the EU deal with the differences in catch limits and protect EU fishing rights? In any case, we need a course of action from the EU side and we need it now. It is extremely distressing to note that while the EU is still the chair of the mackerel consultations, it has lately not managed to be involved in actual negotiations. We are in a deep crisis.” 

Press contact:

Tim Heddema, Chair of the EAPO Northern Pelagic Working Group and Vice-President of Europêche: +31625045602; theddema@pelagicfish.eu

EAPO and EP Press Release – Mackerel

Picture: © Chris Gomersall 2020 vision

Today, Norway decided to go its own way on mackerel by deciding to increase its quota share by 55% from 191,843 tonnes to 298,299 tonnes. The mackerel stock is highly migratory and widely distributed passing through the waters of several coastal states in the Northeast Atlantic. Since 2014, EU, Norway and Faroe Islands have managed to agree on a joint sharing and management arrangement. Unfortunately, Iceland, Russia and Greenland have never been part of this arrangement.

Gerard van Balsfoort, chair of the EU pelagic industry, comments: “Norway’s unilateral increase by 55% of its share in the Northeast Atlantic mackerel fishery is a new low in our fisheries relations and totally undermines the effective management of our shared and widely distributed pelagic stocks. The EU should seriously consider to use its power as the world’s largest import market for seafood to take action to stop such reckless and irresponsible behaviour by Norway”.

Since 1 January this year, the UK has left the EU and became a new and independent coastal state. Everybody knew that this would create new uncertainties for all players in the Northeast Atlantic as the UK had to establish new fisheries relationships with the other coastal states, among them Norway. Until now it has not been possible for the UK to reach a fisheries agreement for 2021 with its direct neighbours Faroe Islands, Norway and the EU. UK’s negotiations with Faroe Islands and Norway have now officially been terminated without an agreement, while negotiations between the UK and EU are still ongoing.

Gerard van Balsfoort concludes that “it is extremely disappointing that Norway, that markets itself and its seafood products worldwide as the nation with the most prudent and responsible fisheries management system, now has chosen to act in such an irresponsible manner. It seems that Norway has left the path of constructive collaboration with other coastal states. The first signal of this was given already around Christmas last year when Norway unilaterally decided to unlawfully grab part of the Svalbard cod quota allocated to the EU for its own benefit”.

Press contacts:

Gerard van Balsfoort: Phone: +31 651 411 431 | Email: gbalsfoort@pelagicfish.eu

EP and EAPO Press Release – Norway’s unilateral mackerel quota increase