Fisheries ministers agree on fishing opportunities for 2026, in the Atlantic and North Sea, and in the Mediterranean and Black Sea

Today, EU fisheries ministers agreed fishing opportunities for 2026 for the Atlantic and North Sea, Mediterranean and Black Sea. The Commission could not support the compromise reached on the Mediterranean.

Atlantic and North-Sea

In the North-East Atlantic, for the stocks managed solely by the EU, the Council found a political agreement on 24 fishing opportunities for 2026, and, in some cases, also for 2027 and 2028. In the Atlantic and Skagerrak-Kattegat, 81% of the fishing opportunities were set at sustainable levels, in line with the maximum sustainable yield (MSY) advice as proposed by the Commission for 2026. 9 multiannual total allowable catches (TACs) were set for two years or more, in keeping with the fishers' request for more predictability. TACs are limits set to ensure that the EU fishing businesses can rely on sustainable and profitable fisheries by capping the annual quota of specific fish species based on scientific assessments.

Today's agreement includes increases for anchovy (+60%) and megrim (+11%) in Iberian waters, for Norway lobster (+23%) in the Cantabrian Sea, and for anchovy (+8%) and Norway lobster (+49%) in the Bay of Biscay. The Council decided to apply a prudent approach to mixed fisheries where certain stocks are healthy, but others are ailing. To protect pollack in the Bay of Biscay and Iberian waters, it limited the increase for seabass in the Bay of Biscay (+48%), and to protect cod and sole in the waters of Kattegat-Skagerrak, the TACs for Norway lobster and plaice were rolled over.

The agreement includes significant decreases for the TACs of ailing stocks to help start their trajectory of rebuilding the fisheries, to increase and stabilise the income for EU fishing businesses. These stocks include pollack in the Bay of Biscay, the Cantabrian Sea, and Iberian waters (-13%); whiting in the Bay of Biscay (-27%); and sole in Skagerrak-Kattegat (-44%) and in the Iberian waters (-9%).

For most of the TACs shared with non-EU countries in the North-East Atlantic, fishing opportunities for 2026 had already been secured ahead of the Council. The EU concluded a bilateral agreement with the United Kingdom (UK) as well as a trilateral agreement between the EU, Norway and the UK. In addition, the EU also finalised negotiations pending signature on a bilateral agreement with Norway, including quota exchanges and access arrangements. Together, these agreements cover more than 100 TACs, as well as technical measures aimed at rebuilding stocks in critical condition.

The EU quotas for blue whiting and Atlanto-Scandian herring for 2026 have been set in accordance with the TAC endorsed by the EU in coastal States consultations and in the North-East Atlantic Fisheries Commission (NEAFC), respectively. Regrettably, no TAC has been set for mackerel despite the EU's best efforts to engage in meaningful consultations. The EU set a provisional quota for the first six months of 2026 based on a provisional TAC in line with the ICES advice. At the Council meeting, several EU Member States regretted the status of the stock, the overfishing by and lack of cooperation from certain non-EU countries, calling on the Commission to urgently apply Regulation (EU) No 1026/2012 on unsustainable fishing to defend the EU legitimate rights and to protect the pelagic stocks in the North-East Atlantic.

Mediterranean

The Commission cannot support the compromise reached on the Mediterranean, as it considers it is not in line with the multiannual management plan for the western Mediterranean, in particular as regards the setting of fishing effort.

More information

TACs and quotas 2026

Proposal from the Commission for fishing opportunities for 2026 for the EU-managed stocks in the Atlantic and Skagerrak-Kattegat waters

Proposal for a Council Regulation fixing the fishing opportunities for certain fish stocks and groups of fish stocks applicable in the Mediterranean and Black Seas for 2026

North-East Atlantic coastal states reach agreement on mackerel, blue whiting and Atlanto-Scandian herring TACs for 2025

Details