Norway, Iceland, the Faroe Islands, Greenland, the United Kingdom, and the EU have reached an agreement on the amount of mackerel that can be fished in the Northeast Atlantic in 2024. The coastal countries, which have also agreed to continue and seek to strengthen scientific cooperation, have set the total quota at 739,386 tons. This is within the limits set by the recommendations of the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES).
However, although several rounds of negotiations have been held this year, this general agreement has not resulted in the parties agreeing on the percentage share of the mackerel stock. Negotiations will continue in early 2024.
In her statements on the agreement, the newly appointed Norwegian Minister of Fisheries and Ocean Policy, Cecilie Myrseth, emphasized the crucial importance of the distribution of the mackerel quota.
"It is an important step in the right direction that all parties have agreed on a total quota, but even though we have come somewhat closer together during the year, there is still a piece left for a solution for the distribution of this population," she said.
"Mackerel stocks are one of Europe's most valuable fish stocks, so it is also demanding to agree on how the total quota will be distributed among the parties," Minister Myrseth continued. "From the Norwegian side, it is important that the final solution is in line with how much mackerel is actually found in the different economic zones."
The Norwegian Ministry of Fisheries and Ocean reminded the coastal states have not reached an agreement on mackerel sharing since the previous one expired at the end of 2020.
One consequence of this lack of understanding is that the total mackerel catch has been above the total recommended quota for several years. Despite this, the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea considers that mackerel stocks are still within safe biological limits.
Nevertheless, ICES continues to advise fishing less and reducing the total quota, as has been the case this year. The agreed 739,386 tons represents a decrease of 5% compared to the total quota agreed for 2023. In practice, this corresponds to 42,680 tons of mackerel less than last year.
