The latest round of negotiations on establishing a comprehensive sharing agreement for Northeast Atlantic mackerel fishing in 2026 have begun, but tensions rose well before delegates from relevant coastal nations sat down together in London, U.K., starting on 16 October.
Before the most recent talks began, Norwegian Ministry of Trade, Industries, and Fisheries Deputy Director General and Chief Negotiator Ann Kristin Westberg decried a press release sent out by the Seafood Ireland Alliance (SIA), which blamed Norway for lack of progress on pelagic quota negotiations that were held in Clonakilty, Ireland, in September.
Westberg told SeafoodSource the release “appears to offer a somewhat selective interpretation of the discussions held at the coastal states meeting in Clonakilty.”
“In particular, it seems to place considerable emphasis on the E.U.’s contribution while downplaying the roles played by Norway, the U.K., and the Faroe Islands,” she said.
According to the SIA, which attended the Clonakilty talks as an observer, parties at the talks “remained entrenched in their positions, despite strong efforts by the E.U. to inject urgency into the process.” It added that the E.U. delegation was “the only party demonstrating a sense of urgency by calling for immediate agreement on measures to reduce fishing pressure.”
The E.U. has vehemently opposed the way Norway has approached quota-setting in the Northeast Atlantic for years, accusing the nation of doing nothing to stop overfishing and, therefore, being to blame for the Northeast Atlantic mackerel fishery losing its Marine Stewardship Council certification in 2019.
Westberg, however, told SeafoodSource any sort of attempt to bring forth a proposal from non-E.U. parties was quickly dismissed by E.U. delegates in Clonakilty.
“The U.K., Norway, and the Faroe Islands jointly presented a new proposal in plenary. This included a revised allocation model and additional management measures, such as access to fish in other parties’ waters and a long-term management plan,” she said. “The core principle of this proposal is that the three largest mackerel-fishing nations – the U.K., Norway, and the E.U. – must proportionally reduce their current shares to make room for Iceland and Greenland to join the agreement in a meaningful way. Norway and the Faroe Islands also indicated a willingness to offer zonal access to their waters, provided this could help facilitate a comprehensive agreement. We believe this proposal represents a fair and realistic starting point for further negotiations. Regrettably, the E.U. – as the only party – signaled that it is unwilling to adjust its share to enable a broader sharing arrangement. A long-term solution will require parties to reduce their quotas. There is no simple fix available – not even for the E.U.”
The ongoing London talks have been further complicated by the fact that the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES) has recommended 70 percent year-over-year cuts to Northeast Atlantic mackerel catch in 2026, advising a quota of just 174,357 metric tons (MT) for next year.
In comparison, mackerel was fished at an estimated 897,701 MT in 2024, which was 21 percent higher than the 739,386 MT that ICES recommended at the time.
Norway itself has a 2025 mackerel quota of 165,000 MT, which is only about 10,000 MT less than the total advice for all coastal states in 2026.
Patrick Murphy, chair of the Irish South and West Fish Producers Organization, said other parties, “particularly Norway, seem in denial on the state of the stock, despite consistent scientific warnings to the contrary.”
Westberg acknowledged that the scientific advice for mackerel is deeply concerning.
“This highlights the urgent need to reduce fishing pressure. All parties have expressed strong concern about the state of the mackerel stock,” she said. “The claim that Norway is in denial about the state of the stock is demonstrably false.”
Nevertheless, other Norwegian officials have been pushing for a higher 2026 quota than ICES advises, with Norwegian fishers’ representative organization Fiskebåt calling for a minimum quota of around 306,702 MT.
"It is in everyone's interest to rebuild the mackerel stock, but at the same time, it is important that the industry and the market are not damaged in the rebuilding process. Fiskebåt believes there is a scientific basis for deviating from the quota advice issued by ICES," Fiskebåt CEO Audun Maråk said.
