After several years of overfishing, Northeast Atlantic pelagic stocks are reaching a critical point.
Overfishing over the past decade has largely been due to coastal states such as Norway, the U.K., the Faroe Islands, and the E.U. being unable to come to a quota-sharing agreement with every player involved, resulting in unilateral quotas that exceed recommended catch totals from the International Council on Exploration of the Sea (ICES).
Last year, for example, mackerel and herring catch in the area exceeded ICES advice by 35 percent and 33 percent, respectively. Catch totals for blue whiting, another pelagic stock in the region, exceeded advice by 28 percent.
“What’s needed is a comprehensive agreement that includes all parties [at] the table,” Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) Northern Europe Regional Director Erin Priddle said.
Despite the difficult politics at play making its recommendations moot, ICES continues to recommend catch well below actual totals. After recommending a 44 percent reduction in herring quota in 2023, ICES has now advised mackerel quotas be reduced by 22 percent in 2025.
With the new advice, the MSC is urging coastal states once again to reach an agreement.
“With mackerel, what we understand from the scientists is that it’s reduced down quite quickly and faster than they expected,” Priddle said. “At the same time, the narrative from industry that I've been hearing when I’m out and about is that it’s not been a good year for mackerel.”
One factor discouraging change is that …
