Fishing vessels in the North Sea.
Photo: Adobe Stock.
Norway, the EU and the UK have reached a tripartite agreement on the management and quota allocation of shared fish stocks in the North Sea for 2025. The agreement, concluded on 2 December, sets out measures for sustainable management of key fisheries.
Negotiations began in October and were conducted over two rounds. The agreement addresses quotas for important species such as cod and North Sea herring, and incorporates recommendations from a working group tasked with improving stock management and oversight.
Fisheries and Oceans Minister Marianne Sivertsen Næss described the agreement as an important step in joint fisheries management.
"The agreement we have now entered into means that we agree on quotas for stocks we manage together in the North Sea and is important for all three parties. The agreement contributes to sustainable management," Sivertsen Næss stated in a Norwegian-language press announcement.
Cod was one of the key species focused on in the agreement, with the parties setting a total cod quota of 25,028 tonnes for 2025, reflecting a 20% reduction compared to the previous year. Of this, 19,910 tonnes are allocated to the North Sea, with Norway receiving 3,385 tonnes.
The cod quota reflects recommendations from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES), which identified challenges in stock management due to a recent division of North Sea cod into three sub-stocks and the inclusion of cod west of Scotland.
As a result, the quotas are considered temporary, with further work planned on future management strategies. Spawning grounds will remain closed during the first quarter of 2025.
The total quota for North Sea herring has been set at 410,707 tonnes, a reduction of 22.8% compared to 2024. Norway’s share is 112,677 tonnes. The agreement maintains the existing management framework for herring, however, a new management plan is expected from ICES during 2025.
Norwegian authorities said that the three parties are expected to meet again to discuss new approaches to managigng North Sea herring stocks, "where the aim is to end up with one total quota which is distributed between the parties".
Other shared stocks in the North Sea remain in a generally healthy condition, according to ICES. In line with this, the three parties agreed to incrase the sei quota for 2025 by 7.1% to 71,638 tonnes, with Norway’s share at 37,252 tonnes. Similarly, the haddock quota has risen by 5.5% to 112,435 tonnes, with Norway receiving 22,048 tonnes.
Discussions on new management plans for these stocks are ongoing in dialogue with ICES, Norwegian authorities indicated.
