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Representatives of the European Union fishing industry have expressed disappointment over a recent mackerel quota agreement reached between the U.K., Norway, and the Faroe Islands, highlighting concerns about ongoing overfishing.
The governments of the U.K., Norway, and the Faroe Islands have established fisheries arrangements for the Northeast Atlantic mackerel stock, a resource shared among these countries as well as the E.U., Iceland, and Greenland. In October, all six parties agreed to a total allowable catch (TAC) of 739,386 metric tons (MT), aligning with scientific recommendations from the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES).
However, the agreement did not delineate the allocation of the TAC among the member states. The U.K., Norway, and the Faroe Islands have decided to collectively catch 531,129 MT of the quota, leaving 208,257 MT, or 28 percent, of the TAC for the E.U., Iceland, and Greenland. The U.K., Norway, and the Faroe Islands have stated that the agreement was designed with consideration for the other three members.
Despite these assurances, Europêche and the European Association of Fish Producers Organisations (EAPO) criticized the agreement, asserting that it perpetuates the longstanding issues of overfishing in the Northeast Atlantic mackerel fishery. The species, along with other pelagic species, lost Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification in 2020 due to overfishing concerns, prompting multiple calls for corrective action.
“This agreement does not solve the critical issue of catches exceeding the TAC set in line with scientific advice. Instead, it rewards the setting of excessive, inflated unilateral quotas by some parties in recent years,” Europêche and EAPO said in a joint statement. “Therefore, the E.U. industry urges all coastal states to resume their consultations on a comprehensive sharing arrangement that should reflect genuine, sustainable track records and interests.”
According to Europêche and EAPO, the 28 percent quota left for the E.U., Iceland, and Greenland is insufficient to address the issue of overfishing and ensure the sustainability of the Northeast Atlantic mackerel stock.
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