North Sea

FISHERIES

FISHERIES

The Artemis BF60 has made a strong start to the North Sea herring season, recording productive fishing grounds and catches of good-sized fish during its first two trips.

24th August 2026

Strong start to North Sea herring season

24th August 2026

AQUACULTURE

AQUACULTURE

The Oyster Restoration Company (TORC) and offshore engineering specialist DEME have completed EuroReefs, a large-scale native European flat oyster restoration project in the Belgian North Sea, marking a significant step towards industrial-scale marine habitat restoration.

2nd July 2026

EuroReefs restores North Sea oysters

2nd July 2026

FISHERIES

FISHERIES

EU fisheries ministers have agreed fishing opportunities for 2026 for the Atlantic and North Sea, Mediterranean and Black Sea. However, the European Commission has stated that it could not support the compromise…

15th December 2025

2026 fishing quotas agreed for Atlantic and North Sea, Mediterranean and Black Sea

15th December 2025

FISHERIES

FISHERIES

The North Sea herring season is now well under way, with around 15 Scottish vessels already fishing east of Shetland and Fair Isle. Most of the remaining fleet is expected to head…

14th August 2025

Strong start to herring season

14th August 2025

SUSTAINABILITY

SUSTAINABILITY

The sandeel arbitration tribunal has published its final ruling in the UK-sandeel case. This relates to decisions taken in March 2024 by UK and Scottish governments to close North Sea waters to…

12th May 2025

UK upholds sandeel fishing ban

12th May 2025

FISHERIES

FISHERIES

The European Union and Norway have concluded negotiations on the management of shared stocks in the Skagerrak and Kattegat, quota exchanges, and reciprocal access to waters, with the new agreements securing key…

10th December 2024

European Union and Norway agree 2025 catches

10th December 2024

FISHERIES

FISHERIES

The European Commission has released its first report on the implementation of its multiannual plan (MAP) for managing fisheries in the North Sea and the western waters of the Atlantic Ocean.

2nd October 2024

European Commission: MAPs help reduce pressure on stocks

2nd October 2024

FISHERIES

FISHERIES

The only Marine Stewardship Council-certified herring fishery in the north-east Atlantic is about to get under way.

18th July 2024

Putting ‘silver darlings’ on the menu

18th July 2024

SUSTAINABILITY

SUSTAINABILITY

The European Commission has pledged €127 million to help restore waters around the bloc.

15th July 2024

EU on a mission to restore waters

15th July 2024

SUSTAINABILITY

SUSTAINABILITY

The first large-scale offshore project to restore oyster reefs in the Belgian North Sea has begun.

4th July 2024

Oyster reef revival begins in Belgium

4th July 2024

FISHERIES

FISHERIES

Following three days of negotiations in Brussels, European fisheries ministers have agreed on fishing opportunities in the Atlantic, the North Sea, and in the Mediterranean and the Black Seas for 2024.

12th December 2023

2024 fishing quotas approved for EU, non-EU waters

12th December 2023

FISHERIES

FISHERIES

The EU has successfully concluded agreements with the UK and Norway, and bilaterally with Norway, for fishing opportunities for next year.

11th December 2023

2024 fishing deals agreed by EU, UK and Norway

11th December 2023

FISHERIES

FISHERIES

The International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) has recommended cuts to 2024’s mackerel and Atlanto-Scandian herring quotas and an increase in the blue whiting catch.

2nd October 2023

Lower herring, mackerel quotas advised for Northeast Atlantic and Arctic Ocean

2nd October 2023

NEW VESSELS

NEW VESSELS

Macduff Shipyards Ltd has signed over its latest newbuild fishing vessel, Zenith BF 106, to owner Mark Robertson and his sons Paul and Adam.

9th August 2023

New prawn catcher joins Scottish fleet

9th August 2023

INSIGHT

INSIGHT

The Benelux states of Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg have never been amongst Europe’s elite band of fish-producing nations, despite the first two having North Sea coastlines. Consequently, a significant proportion of their…

2nd August 2023

Benelux fishers in troubled waters

2nd August 2023

FISHERIES

FISHERIES

The UK fishing industry is to benefit from an additional 140,000 tonnes of fishing opportunities in 2023 worth £282 million.

22nd December 2022

£282m UK fishing deal

22nd December 2022

FISHERIES

FISHERIES

EU negotiators have reached agreements with Northeast Atlantic coastal states, as well as with the UK and Norway on the shared management of key stocks in 2023, the European Commission has confirmed.

15th December 2022

NEA 2023 catch deal

15th December 2022

FISHERIES

FISHERIES

Next year’s fishing opportunities for the fish stocks exclusively managed by the EU in the Atlantic Ocean, Kattegat, and Skagerrak, including deepsea stocks for 2023 and 2024, have been agreed by the…

14th December 2022

2023 EU catches adopted

14th December 2022

NEWS

NEWS

Negotiating as an independent coastal state, the United Kingdom has reached an agreement with Norway on fisheries access and quotas for 2022 through which both parties will permit some access to each…

22nd December 2021

UK, Norway agree fishing deal for 2022

22nd December 2021

NEWS

NEWS

A trilateral agreement on management of shared North Sea stocks has been signed by the UK the EU and Norway, while the EU and Norway have concluded a number of bilateral agreements.

13th December 2021

UK, EU and Norway agree 2022 North Sea catch limits

13th December 2021