London Coastal States Finalize 2027 TACs for Mackerel, Blue Whiting and Norwegian Spring-Spawning Herring, All Above 2026 Advice

The coastal states — the EU, Norway, the UK, Iceland, the Faroe Islands and Greenland — agreed in London last week on total allowable catches (TACs) for 2027 for three stocks: mackerel, blue whiting and Atlanto-Scandian herring. Russia participates only as a relevant signatory for Atlanto-Scandian herring.

All three TACs were set in line with International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) advice: mackerel at 352,938 tonnes, blue whiting at 1,064,191 tonnes and Atlanto-Scandian herring at 585,015 tonnes, respectively 102%, 25% and 10% above the 2026 advised levels.

The coastal states have not yet reached agreement on quota allocation among themselves, and the relevant negotiations will resume in December.

Advice being raised and TACs being set accordingly does not necessarily mean mackerel landings will increase in 2027. Last year, four coastal states (at the time excluding the EU and Greenland) agreed a 2026 mackerel TAC of 299,010 tonnes, far above the ICES advice at the time of 174,357 tonnes; ICES projected total mackerel catches in 2026 at close to 400,000 tonnes. Actual catches of mackerel and other stocks in 2027 are also expected to be higher than the agreed TACs, with the specific level depending on allocation (agreements), the setting of own quotas, mutual access arrangements and Russian fishing.

Pelagic Freezer trawler Association (PFA) president Tim Heddema expressed satisfaction that agreement on this year's TACs was reached quickly. He said this also leaves more time to discuss issues such as how to respond to Russian overfishing, and that the parties now making this a priority is a real gain; he hopes the issue will be carried forward at the annual meeting of the North-East Atlantic Fisheries Commission (NEAFC) in the second week of November.