The Pew Charitable Trusts has criticised Northeast Atlantic Coastal States for again failing to reach agreement on the management of three key pelagic stocks, warning that the ongoing stalemate risks driving Atlantic mackerel into deeper decline.
Talks between the EU, UK, Norway, Iceland, Faroe Islands, Greenland and Russia concluded on 23 October 2025 without a deal on catch sharing for mackerel, Atlanto-Scandian herring and blue whiting. For Pew, the most alarming outcome is the lack of a decision on a new total allowable catch for mackerel, despite scientific advice calling for a 70% cut to safeguard the depleted stock.
By postponing the decision until year-end, governments have delayed action at a critical moment, Pew said – and may now hinder the North-East Atlantic Fisheries Commission (NEAFC) from setting high-seas management measures at its meeting next month.
There was limited progress elsewhere: Coastal States set catch limits for Atlanto-Scandian herring and blue whiting in line with scientific recommendations, although no sharing arrangements were reached. Pew welcomed the decision to pursue a management strategy evaluation (MSE) for Atlanto-Scandian herring, calling it an important opportunity to embed ecosystem and climate considerations into long-term stock management.
Jean-Christophe Vandevelde, International Fisheries Manager at The Pew Charitable Trusts, said the failure to act on mackerel “falls short of countries’ sustainability commitments”.
“The Coastal States of the Northeast Atlantic have longstanding commitments to manage their shared fisheries sustainably, but during these last two weeks of negotiations they continued to fall short,” he said. “Lack of agreement to stop overfishing of Atlantic mackerel risks further depleting the stock and could delay similarly needed management improvements for high seas fisheries that NEAFC will discuss next month.”
However, Vandevelde pointed to a potential bright spot: next week’s trilateral EU–Norway–UK negotiations on North Sea herring, which appear set to advance a long-term management plan.
“Some of these same countries have also signalled the route to overcome these problems, by moving closer to ecosystem-based long-term management for species such as North Sea herring,” he said. “The science and tools to move countries away from difficult annual catch limit negotiations towards a more stable, sustainable approach are here. Now it is up to Coastal States to use these tools effectively.”
Pew is urging governments to take decisive action before year-end to reverse the decline of shared pelagic stocks and to seize the opportunity for more resilient, ecosystem-based fisheries management.
