US EditionEU ups mackerel quotas to match UK despite overfishing concerns
The EU cut North Atlantic mackerel quotas by 48%, less than the 70% advised, to match limits set by Britain, Norway, and others after failed talks with neighbours.
- On Monday, the European Union increased mackerel fishing quotas in the Northeast Atlantic, abandoning a 70 percent reduction target to align with limits set by Britain, Norway, and other rival fishing nations.
- Mackerel biomass plummeted from nearly 13 million tons in 2014 to less than 3 million tons in 2025, prompting scientists from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea to warn of an existential threat to reproduction.
- Agriculture ministers from the European Union's 27 nations decided on a new, lower reduction target of 48 percent compared to 2025 levels, reversing their previous commitment to follow ICES scientific advice.
- Brussels reversed course after talks to persuade coastal neighbours to adopt sustainable limits failed, with the new quota aligning the bloc with an accord signed by Britain, Norway, Iceland, and the Faroe Islands.
- Scientists warn overfishing poses an existential threat to the Northeast Atlantic mackerel population, while the European Commission stated the European Union remains the only party consistently raising concerns about respecting ICES advice and limiting overfishing by Russia.
32 Articles
32 Articles
By December 2025, the Twenty-Seven had decided to reduce the catch of mackerel by 70%. On Monday, they decided to stick to a reduction of only 48%, in order to address the concerns of fishermen.
Despite the unfavourable opinion of scientists, the European Union gave its green light on Monday for an increase in mackerel fishing quotas. ...
The European Union blames the United Kingdom, Norway, the Faroe Islands and Iceland for overexploiting the species, but is itself under pressure from its fishermen.
On Monday, 30 March, the EU is revising its 2026 catch in the North Atlantic against the advice of scientists who are warning about the risks to the species. The United Kingdom, Norway and Iceland, fond of these fish going north due to warming, have exerted intense pressure.
The EU, which had forecast a 70% reduction in mackerel catches in December, finally decided to keep to a 48% decrease, aligning itself with the United Kingdom, Norway, the Faroe Islands and Iceland. France did not oppose this revision.
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