The EU, Norway and the Faroe Islands reached an agreement on next year’s Northeast Atlantic mackerel fishery.
Based on a long-term strategy for the management of the fishery for the period up to 2021, the parties agreed on a total allowable catch (TAC) of 816,797 metric tons (MT).
Of this the EU will have a quota of 402,596 MT, Norway gets 183,857 MT and the Faroes receives 103,000 MT.
Quotas were also set aside for other fishing parties, mainly Iceland and Greenland.
EU Commissioner for Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Karmenu Vella welcomed the agreement, saying that it was an important step for the sound management and sustainable exploitation of the mackerel stock.
“This stock is by far the most economically important stock for the EU fishing industry, and we have agreed to a strategy that is fully in line with the principles of the Common Fisheries Policy, in particular the objective of maximum sustainable yield. We welcome that the decisions for the 2018 TAC were taken on the basis of the best available scientific advice as provided by the International Council on the Exploration of the Seas, ICES. The TAC for 2018 promotes the conservation needs of the stock and seeks stability for the industry.”
Besides this three-party agreement, two bilateral agreements were signed with Norway on license and management arrangements for the mackerel fishery. These will facilitate and regulate EU fleets' access to Norwegian waters, and vice versa.
