Mackerel is one of the most popular species in the northeastern Atlantic.
Photo: Adobe Stock.
In the absence of a comprehensive agreement between all coastal countries entitled to mackerel quotas in the northeast Atlantic, Norway, the UK, Iceland, and the Faroe Islands have reached a four-party agreement setting the total allowable catch (TAC) at 299,010 tons for 2026. This represents a 48% reduction compared to 2025.
After deciding their respective "coastal state shares," a series of bilateral transfers of quotas between the parties, and other adjustments, the net shares of the mackerel TAC were set at 30.55% for the UK, 26.40% for Norway, 12% for the Faroe Islands, and 10.50% for Iceland.
The agreement, which is based on the one signed by Norway, the United Kingdom, and the Faroe Islands in 2024, albeit with a slight adjustment in quotas, will remain in force, in principle, until the end of 2028 and appears to satisfy the parties, at least those that have spoken out on the matter.
"I am very pleased that we have concluded a new long-term agreement to manage and allocate the mackerel stock. The agreement will help to limit mackerel fishing and thereby reduce fishing pressure over time," said the Norwegian Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, Marianne Sivertsen Næss.
"It is particularly positive that Iceland is now joining an expanded mackerel agreement. Iceland is an important fisheries partner for Norway," she continued, before referring to the parties that have not signed this understanding.
"The goal remains an agreement that also includes the EU and Greenland. This agreement keeps the door open for that. We therefore hope to continue consultations with the EU and Greenland as early as 2026 with the aim of achieving a comprehensive solution," said Minister Sivertsen Næss.
His counterpart in the Faroe Islands, Minister Eirikur í Jákupsstovu, expressed in the same vein. "The agreement between the Faroe Islands, the United Kingdom, Iceland and Norway is of great importance both for the mackerel stock and for the future Faroese mackerel fishery," he said.
"It is of crucial importance that more coastal states are added to the agreement, and I hope that it will be possible to bring the other coastal states into the agreement," said the Faroese Minister.
The agreed record of fisheries consultations signed by the four countries also emphasized that the decision had been taken after recognizing the importance of quickly and provisionally implementing a set of responsible management measures as an immediate response to the declining state of the stock.
Moreover, it added that, while discussions to agree on quotas for all coastal states continued in parallel, such measures would bring significant benefits to the long-term condition of the stock.
Likewise, Norway, the UK, Iceland and the Faroe Islands decided to send a request to the International Council for Exploration of the Seas (ICES) to evaluate the draft long-term fisheries management strategy, underlining their desire to see it in operation in time for the autumn 2026 consultations for setting the 2027 TAC for the stock.
Thus, the signatory states emphasized that the agreement represents a significant reduction in overfishing and constitutes an important step toward responsible and sustainable management of the mackerel stock.
The Faroe Islands release even states that the quota of 299,010 tons has been set "in accordance with ICES' Fmsy principle," the scientific guideline for managing fisheries in the long term, aiming to achieve a balance between high catches and the health of stocks.
The statement is striking because, in October, ICES advised catches of mackerel should be reduced by 77% compared to the previous year if the species is to recover, meaning a total catch limit of no more than 174,357 tonnes, a reduction well above that now agreed by these four countries.
As reported by WeAreAquaculture, in November, the European Union expressed strong concern after most members of the North-East Atlantic Fisheries Commission (NEAFC) rejected its call to set mackerel catch limits in line with scientific advice.
According to the EU, the decision risked worsening the condition of one of the region's most valuable fish stocks, which the ICES had already assessed as being below minimum sustainability levels.
Previously, the North Atlantic Pelagic Advocacy Group (NAPA), which represents more than 50 retailers, suppliers and food service companies, had raised alarm in October following ICES data showing that northeast Atlantic mackerel has fallen to its lowest stock level in more than two decades.
As the voice of the marketplace, NAPA has been calling for action to address this issue for five years and is currently leading a Fishery Improvement Project (FIP) aimed at encouraging coastal states to reach a long-term sharing arrangement.
Mackerel continues to be a very valuable fishery for the NEAFC states. In the UK, for example, it was the second most valuable seafood export after salmon in 2024, and also the species with the second highest volume of exports, while in Norway it plays a similar role in the country's seafood exports, even overtaking salmon in terms of export value in September.