North-East Atlantic coastal states reach agreement on mackerel, blue whiting and herring TACs for 2025

The delegations of the European Union, the Faroe Islands, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, and the United Kingdom (coastal states) have reached an agreement on management measures, for mackerel, Atlanto-Scandian herring, and blue whiting in the North-East Atlantic for 2025, the EU's Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DGMAF) said recently.

For mackerel, the total allowable catch (TAC) for 2025 is set at 576,958 tonnes, decreasing 22 per cent compared to 2024’s TAC.

For Atlanto-Scandian herring, the TAC for 2025 was agreed at 401,794 tonnes, increasing three per cent compared to 2024’s TAC.

For blue whiting, the TAC for 2025 was agreed at 1,447,054 tonnes, decreasing 5.4 per cent compared to 2024’s TAC.

The DGMAF said the TAC for all three stocks in 2025 is 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 these 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 EU 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.

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 EU 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 UK also held an initial round of dedicated consultations on control measures for pelagic fisheries in the North-East 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.

The DGMAF said the EU’s fisheries control system, recently strengthened, plays an indispensable role in protecting marine resources, maintaining fair competition, and meeting consumers' demand for sustainably sourced products. Effective implementation hinges on cooperation from coastal states to improve control standards at sea and in ports.

The EU also proposed to cooperate with other coastal states to ensure common technical specifications and interoperability of remote electronic monitoring systems on board fishing vessels across jurisdictions.