EU Council finalizes 2027 Baltic quotas: TACs raised for five fish species, eastern and western cod kept as bycatch only
The EU Council reached an agreement on total allowable catches (TACs) for the Baltic Sea in 2027, raising quotas for five targeted fisheries including herring, sprat and plaice, with only Gulf of Finland salmon unchanged; bycatch quotas for western herring and eastern and western cod did not adopt the European Commission's proposed cuts.
The EU Council has reached an agreement on total allowable catches (TACs) for the Baltic Sea in 2027. According to the Council, catches of sprat, central Baltic herring, Bothnian Sea herring, Gulf of Riga herring and plaice will be raised in line with scientific advice. This means that, with the exception of Gulf of Finland salmon, the TAC for every targeted fishery species in the Baltic Sea is higher than in 2026.
The sprat TAC for 2027 is set at 291,590 tonnes, an increase of 44% from 201,975 tonnes in 2026, in line with the European Commission's original proposal.
The central Baltic herring TAC is set at 165,228 tonnes, an increase of 71% from 96,463 tonnes in 2026. This figure is higher than the European Commission's recommended 143,860 tonnes but remains within the range advised by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES). ICES projects a positive development in the stock size due to an estimated higher recruitment.
The Bothnian Sea herring TAC is set at 62,500 tonnes, an increase of 12% from 55,869 tonnes in 2026, higher than the European Commission's recommended 57,308 tonnes and also within the ICES advised range. The European Commission originally set its TAC based on the current stock size and said a lower TAC would have helped the stock size grow over time.
The Gulf of Riga herring TAC is set at 38,183 tonnes, an increase of 11% from 34,367 tonnes in 2026, in line with the European Commission's proposal. The plaice TAC is raised to 11,237 tonnes, an increase of 2% from 10,973 tonnes in 2026. The European Commission had recommended keeping the TAC unchanged year on year, citing "poor individual fish condition", while this small increase is in line with ICES advice.
The TAC for Gulf of Finland salmon, the last targeted fishery species, was not raised and remains at 10,232 individuals.
Several other TACs are bycatch-only, and the EU Council decided not to adjust them despite the European Commission's proposal calling for cuts. The western herring TAC remains at 788 tonnes, compared with the Commission's recommended 437 tonnes; eastern cod remains at 430 tonnes, compared with the Commission's recommended 211 tonnes; western cod remains at 266 tonnes, compared with the Commission's recommended 31 tonnes; and the main basin salmon TAC remains at 25,537 individuals, in line with the Commission's recommendation.
Europêche, the European fishing representative body, welcomed the Council's decision, saying it improves on the European Commission's original proposal. The organization said: "The EU fishing sector has shown responsibility and resilience, implementing significant cuts and restrictions in recent years to support stock recovery. The positive developments show that these efforts are starting to bear fruit." Europêche stressed that future decisions should continue to follow the best available scientific advice while supporting sustainable fisheries and the viability of Baltic fishing communities.