European fisheries ministers strike deal on 2026 catch limits

The Council of the European Union has released details of a political agreement reached by EU fisheries ministers on fishing opportunities for 2026 in the Atlantic, North Sea, Mediterranean and Black Sea.

The agreement, which concluded after two days of complex negotiations at the Agriculture and Fisheries Council in Brussels, sets total allowable catches (TACs) and fishing effort limits for key commercial stocks, and also incorporates outcomes of consultations with the UK and Norway.

The new measures will apply from 1 January 2026, following formal adoption and publication in the EU's Official Journal. In its announcement, the EU Council said the agreement aims to balance scientific advice (from ICES and STECF) with socioeconomic considerations, in line with the objectives of the Common Fisheries Policy.

Jacob Jensen, Denmark’s minister for food, agriculture and fisheries, who chaired the negotiations, said the compromise had “broad support among the member states”, and would provide fishers with "certainty about their fishing opportunities for 2026."

"The compromise strikes a balance between the scientific advice and protecting vulnerable fish stocks, while also ensuring the best possible conditions for a sustainable fisheries sector in the future," he added.

The Council confirmed the bloc’s fisheries ministers have agreed TACs for 24 stocks managed autonomously by the EU in the Atlantic and North Sea. According to the European Commission, 81% of these fishing opportunities were set in line with maximum sustainable yield (MSY) advice, with several TACs agreed on a multiannual basis extending beyond 2026.

Based on improved stock status and scientific advice, catch limits will increase for megrims in parts of the Bay of Biscay (up 12%), as well as in Portuguese waters and Macaronesian areas, and for Norway lobster in most of the Bay of Biscay, which will rise by 54%.

Reductions were agreed for several stocks to safeguard sustainability, including common sole in the Kattegat and eastern and western Baltic Sea (down 45%), horse mackerel in Portuguese waters (-5%), pollack (-13%) and anglerfish (-1%) in parts of the Bay of Biscay and adjacent waters, and Norway lobster (-23%) in Portuguese and Macaronesian areas. A smaller reduction of 1% was agreed for common sole in the Bay of Biscay (north and central).

As consultations among northeast Atlantic coastal states on mackerel are still ongoing, ministers set provisional catch limits amounting to a 70% reduction for the first six months of 2026, based on scientific advice and pending agreement on a full-year TAC. This reduction will particularly impact Ireland, which holds the largest share of the EU quota for mackerel in the western waters area.

Provisional limits were also agreed for stocks subject to annual EU–Norway consultations, the Council confirmed.

In a separate announcement, the Council confirmed it had approved the EU–UK agreement on 95 TACs for stocks jointly managed under the EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement.

The Council said the deal, based on ICES advice, secures EU fishing access in UK waters for 2026 and will be integrated into the overall Atlantic and North Sea regulation. For stocks with zero catch advice, specific by-catch TACs were set “to avoid choke situations that would lead to the premature closure of healthy fisheries,” while additional technical measures were agreed for stocks that have fallen below safe biological levels.

“The EU remains committed to sustainable cooperation, ensuring that our shared resources continue to be managed responsibly,” Jensen said.

The Council also reported that trilateral consultations between the EU, the UK and Norway were concluded ahead of the meeting, with agreed catch limits incorporated into the overall political agreement.

For the western Mediterranean, ministers agreed to maintain 2025 fishing effort levels for trawlers in Spanish, French and Italian waters - despite the European Commission's original proposal for a further reduction of fishing effort in the western Mediterranean.

This was strongly resisted by the Mediterraneaan fishing states in question, with Spain's Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Luis Planas, calling the Commission proposal to allow only nine days of fishing for the Mediterranean fleet an idea "from another planet".

An adjusted compensation mechanism will thus continue in largely the same way as agreed last year, allowing additional fishing days for operators using more selective gear or covered by national conservation measures.

Catch limits for blue and red shrimp, as well as giant red shrimp, will also be maintained at 2025 levels in the relevant Mediterranean waters.

Meanwhile, in the Black Sea, the Council agreed on a slightly lower TAC for turbot compared with 2025, including a carry-over of unused quota from 2024, while the seasonal closure from 15 April to 15 June will remain in place. Sprat quotas will be rolled over unchanged, the Council said.

The updated regulations will be formally adopted at an upcoming meeting and will apply from 1 January 2026.