The pelagic fleets of the European Union, Norway, and the Faroe Islands will be allowed to catch 41 percent more mackerel next year, with the coastal states agreeing on a 2020 quota of 922,000 metric tons (MT) at their meeting in London.
This new agreement is in line with the increased total allowable catch (TAC) recommended for the Northeast Atlantic mackerel fishery by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES), made at the start of this month.
As the second-largest E.U. quota holder, Ireland has welcomed the increase. Its 2020 allocation of 78,054 MT represents an increase of 22,740 MT on this year’s quota.
“In times of uncertainty, a mackerel quota for Ireland of over 78,000 MT is excellent news for our fleets in what is our single most valuable fishery. Irish fishermen will now have a quota worth over EUR 80 million (USD 89 million) directly to our catching sector for 2020,” Ireland Minister for Agriculture, Food, and the Marine Michael Creed said.
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