The North Atlantic Pelagic Advocacy Group (NAPA) has extended its fishery improvement projects (FIPs) covering pelagic stocks in the Northeast Atlantic for two more years as coastal states continue to collectively overfish multiple stocks.
NAPA was formed in 2019 in response to ongoing issues with North Atlantic mackerel, Northeast Atlantic spring spawning herring, and blue whiting stocks. Continuous state-level disagreements on how the total allowable catch (TAC) of the various stocks should be divided up has resulted in multiple years of overfishing that ultimately resulted in multiple species losing Marine Stewardship Council certification and having sustainability metrics downgraded by environmental organizations.
Now, after years of overfishing, Northeast Atlantic pelagic stocks are approaching a tipping point that could result significant damage to the long-term health of the fisheries, so NAPA is pushing for coastal states to end disputes over the stock to avoid catastrophe.
“Despite three years of relentless efforts from NAPA, the political deadlock has remained. Coastal states have continued to prioritize their own interests over the sustainable management of these stocks, leading to continued overfishing,” NAPA Chair Aoife Martin said.
NAPA originally set up its FIPs to push coastal states into reaching an agreement – with the caveat that some members comprising its coalition of over 50 retailers and supply chain businesses have pledged to stop sourcing from the fisheries if the issue continues to go unresolved. The new FIPs will last through 2026, and NAPA said they offer the latest and best chance for coastal states to sort out an equitable agreement.
“This extended two-year timeline to reach a much-needed political solution marks the beginning of the next chapter for NAPA – one that must reinforce the urgency and prioritize the science,” Martin said.
As part of its new push, NAPA has brought on Rob Blyth-Skyrme, a seafood consultant with a Ph.D. in fisheries management who has helped assess fisheries around the world.
Blyth-Skyrme told SeafoodSource that this year has come with additional urgency as surveys of Atlantic mackerel stock pushed the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES) to advocate for major cuts, increasing pressure on coastal states.
He said that the state of mackerel, which was near its maximum sustainable yield biomass trigger (MSY Btrigger), was worse than expected and could serve as ...
