The EU and Norway have agreed quotas for main fish stocks in the North Sea and the strait of Skagerrak, including a 20% reduction of mackerel quota and a 30% increase in herring quota, according to the Danish Pelagic Producers Organisation (DPPO).
The agreement — which was reached Friday (Dec. 1) — also covers quotas for cod, haddock, saithe, whiting and plaice.
The agreement must next be approved by EU countries’ fisheries ministers. A meeting is expected to take place in the Council of Ministers in Brussels on Dec. 11-12.
The decrease in the mackerel quota comes after several years of increases.
“Mackerel is the most valuable schooling fish in the North Atlantic, so [the reduction] will have significant economic consequences if that ratio goes down,” said Esben Sverdrup-Jensen, CEO of DPPO.
“But the decline comes after several years of increases in quotas. So there is no suggestion that the stock is in crisis. On the contrary, we see mackerel everywhere.”
The DPPO said scientific advice for mackerel was characterized by uncertainty and policy-makers had taken a cautious approach.
Meanwhile, the increase in herring quotas will add “bustle” in ports and activity in the North Jutland coastal communities that depend on fishing, said Sverdrup-Jensen. Last week, Undercurrent News reported plentiful herring landings which has seen more going to fishmeal and fish oil.
“Next year’s positive trend for herring quota is largely the result of industry investment in research and fishermen’s willingness to cooperate with the managers to protect natural resources,” said Sverdrup-Jensen.
The agreement between the EU and Norway is the most important fisheries agreement for Danish fishing, as many Danish fishermen have their primary fishing in these areas.
The agreement also covers fishing opportunities for a number of non-straddling stocks in the North Sea and waters west of the British Isles, such as blue whiting, sprat, monkfish, ling, hake, Norway lobster, prawn, Norway pout and Arctic cod, redfish, Arctic saithe and haddock Norwegian Sea and the Barents Sea, in addition to quotas in Greenland waters.
2017 Undercurrent News