Delegations representing the European Union, the Faroe Islands, Greenland, Iceland, Norway and the United Kingdom have reached an agreement on management measures, for mackerel, Atlanto-Scandian herring and blue whiting in the Northeast Atlantic for 2025.
For mackerel, the total allowable catch (TAC) for 2025 is set at 576,958 tonnes, decreasing 22% compared to 2024’s TAC. The Atlanto-Scandian herring TAC was agreed at 401,794 tonnes, increasing 3%. And the blue whiting, the TAC for 2025 was agreed at 1,447,054 tonnes – down 5.4%.
The TACs for all three stocks in 2025 are aligned with the scientific recommendations provided by the International Council for Exploration of the Sea (ICES). However, without comprehensive quota sharing agreements and with inflated unilateral quotas by certain coastal states, the sustainable management of these stocks remains challenging.
During the consultations, ICES provided evidence that the mackerel stock biomass is declining significantly and recalled that the sum of unilateral quotas has consistently exceeded the scientific advice since 2010.
The European Union expressed strong concerns about the unilateral actions taken by certain coastal states, which continue to put mackerel stock at risk. These actions threaten the stock’s long-term sustainability and limit progress towards fair and comprehensive management measures.
According to the Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, the EU also entered these consultations determined to address the dire biological status of Atlanto-Scandian herring in a way that is effective, comprehensive, and evidence-based. In this consultation as well as for blue whiting, the Union advocated for inclusive quota sharing agreements to ensure the sum of all parties’ quotas aligns with the agreed TAC.
The EU, Greenland, the Faroe Islands, Iceland, Norway and the United Kingdom also held an initial round of dedicated consultations on control measures for pelagic fisheries in the Northeast Atlantic. The goal of these consultations is to strengthen fisheries control measures agreed upon in 2022, aiming to improve the recording of catches by all parties.
