After four years of decreasing supplies, Europe will soon have access to more haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus) thanks to surprise quota increases in both the Barents Sea and Icelandic fisheries.
The joint Norwegian-Russian Fisheries Commission has confirmed the 2015 Barents Sea haddock total allowable catch (TAC) will be increased from its original level of 178,500 metric tons (MT) to 223,000 MT. This is the highest level since 2012, when whitefish vessels from Norway and Russia were allowed to catch 318,000 MT and reverses the recent trend of falling TACs.
Meanwhile, Iceland’s Marine Research Institute (MRI) has recommended that the Icelandic haddock quota be raised by 20 percent or 6,000 MT to just under 40,000 MT for the 12 months from 1 September, when the country’s new fishing season officially starts.
Like Norway, Iceland’s haddock TAC has steadily declined in recent years, being set at 46,000 MT for the quota year 2011/2012, 44,000 MT in 2012/2013, 38,000 MT in 2013/2014 and 30,400 MT in 2014/2015.
MRI has also recommended Iceland’s cod quota should be raised by 10 percent to around 239,000 MT, saying that the increases are the result of responsible and scientifically based fisheries management. According to its scientists, the breeding population of cod in the fishery is currently at its highest level since the early 1960s.
The final TACs still need to be approved by the Icelandic government, but if passed, it’s expected that the catch increases will boost the country’s economy by around EUR 100 million (USD 111 million) over the course of the next year.
The increased Icelandic haddock supply is certain to be particularly welcomed by U.K. processors. The United Kingdom is the No. 1 export market for the fish, traditionally accounting for about two-thirds of production. However, Icelandic exporters have reported increasing volumes of whitefish going into other European markets, most notably France and Spain.
Haddock exports into the U.K. market are divided into four main product categories: whole (head-on gutted) fresh fish, which is primarily transported in containers to auction markets; fresh fillets or specially-cut portions, such as loins, which are either transported by air or by containership directly to retail or foodservice customers; frozen products, including frozen-at-sea fillets; and lastly, other processed formats such as salted and dried products.
Despite the increased haddock quotas, prices are expected to remain strong. There should, though, be less switching to Atlantic cod as seen in recent quarters, say whitefish traders.
The joint Norwegian-Russian Fisheries Commission set the 2015 Barents Sea cod quota at 894,000 MT for 2015, in accordance with advice given by the International Council for Exploration of the Seas (ICES). This TAC was down from 993,000 MT last year and a record 1 million MT in 2013.
Meanwhile, new annual scientific advice published by ICES suggests there could also be scope to increase the cod and haddock quotas in the North Sea in 2016 as both species continue to recover.
ICES has recommended a cod catch of 49,259 MT for 2016, which corresponds to around 40,419 MT of actual landings for human consumption. It has also proposed an increased quota for this year of about 5,000 MT, raising it from the earlier agreed quota of 35,100 MT to 40,419 MT.
The recommended 2016 TAC for North Sea haddock is 74,854 MT, equivalent to 61,930 MT of fish landed for human consumption and up 14,000 MT on this year’s quota.
| 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | |
| Cod (MT) | 751,000 | 1,000,000 | 993,000 | 894,000 | TBC |
| Haddock (MT) | 318,000 | 200,000 | 178,000 | 223,000 | TBC |
| 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | |
| Cod (MT) | 196,000 | 223,000 | 215,000 | 218,000 | 239,000 |
| Haddock (MT) | 46,000 | 44,000 | 38,000 | 30,400 | 40,000 |
