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

The delegations of the European Union, the Faroe Islands, Greenland, Iceland, Norway and the United Kingdom (coastal states) reached an agreement on management measures, for mackerel, Atlanto-Scandian herring and blue whiting in the North-East Atlantic for 2025.

• For mackerel, the TAC for 2025 is set at 576 958 tonnes, decreasing 22% compared to 2024’s TAC. 
• For Atlanto-Scandian herring, the TAC for 2025 was agreed at 401 794 tonnes, increasing 3% compared to 2024’s TAC. 
• For blue whiting, the TAC for 2025 was agreed at 1 447 054 tonnes, decreasing 5,4% compared to 2024’s TAC.

The total allowable catch (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 European Union 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 European Union 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 European Union advocated for inclusive quota sharing agreements to ensure the sum of all parties’ quotas aligns with the agreed TAC.

Promoting joint control measures

The European Union, Greenland, the Faroe Islands, Iceland, Norway and the United Kingdom 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 European Union’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 European Union 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.

More information

Northern agreements