- Start
- Dec 13, 202590% CONFIDENCEfrom the source
EU Fisheries Ministers Agree 2026 Fishing Quotas, With No Mackerel Deal
- For EU-only stocks in the North-East Atlantic the Council agreed 24 fishing opportunities for 2026, some also for 2027 and 2028; 81% in the Atlantic and Skagerrak-Kattegat were set in line with maximum sustainable yield advice, and 9 TACs were fixed for two years or more[1]
- Increases included anchovy (+60%) and megrim (+11%) in Iberian waters, Norway lobster (+23%) in the Cantabrian Sea, and anchovy (+8%), Norway lobster (+49%) and seabass (+48%) in the Bay of Biscay[1]
- Cuts for ailing stocks: pollack (-13%) in the Bay of Biscay, Cantabrian Sea and Iberian waters, whiting (-27%) in the Bay of Biscay, sole (-44%) in the Skagerrak-Kattegat and (-9%) in Iberian waters[1]
- Most shared stocks were settled beforehand in agreements with the UK, with Norway and the UK together, and bilaterally with Norway, covering more than 100 TACs[1]
- No TAC was agreed for mackerel; the EU set a provisional quota for the first six months of 2026, and several member states called for action against overfishing by non-EU countries[1]
- The Commission said it could not support the compromise on the Mediterranean, which it considered out of line with the western Mediterranean management plan[1]
- The deal was reached in the early hours of Saturday 13 December after the December Agri-Fish Council[2][3]
- For Ireland, the Seafood Ireland Alliance counted about 57,000 tonnes less quota, a €94 million hit (€200 million with processing) putting 2,300 coastal jobs at risk; Minister Timmy Dooley pointed to a 70% cut advised for mackerel, 41% for blue whiting and 22% for boarfish[2]
- Irish crews were left with 28 tonnes of sole against Belgium's 450, and Ireland's request for the Hague Preferences was blocked by other member states[3]
References 387% CONFIDENCE
The first entry is always the pin's source. Overall confidence is a weighted average of how firmly each reference supports the start and end times used above; a reference counts half as much for every 180 days older than the newest.
- [1]90%oceans-and-fisheries.ec.europa.eu/news/fisheries-ministers-agree-fishing-opportunities-2026-atlantic-and-north-sea-and-mediterranean-and-2025-12-13_enoceans-and-fisheries.ec.europa.eu· Posted Sep 27, 2026· Starts Dec 13, 2025 ✓· 60% of score
European Commission (DG MARE) news of 13 December 2025: 'Today, EU fisheries ministers agreed fishing opportunities for 2026 for the Atlantic and North Sea, Mediterranean and Black Sea.'
- [2]85%EU quota deal putting 2,300 jobs at risk - fishing groups (RTÉ)rte.ie· Published Dec 13, 2025· 20% of score
RTÉ: agreement reached in Brussels 'in the early hours of this morning' after the December Agri-Fish Council; Seafood Ireland Alliance says Ireland loses about 57,000 tonnes of quota, a €94m hit (€200m with processing) putting 2,300 jobs at risk; Minister Timmy Dooley cites a 70% cut advised for mackerel, 41% for blue whiting, 22% for boarfish.[1]
- [3]80%Irish fishing industry warns of thousands of job losses after quotas slashed in EU deal (The Irish Times)irishtimes.com· Published Dec 13, 2025· 20% of score
Irish Times: the deal was reached early on Saturday 13 December; the Irish fleet was left with 28 tonnes of sole for 2026 against Belgium's 450, and Dooley said member states blocked the Hague Preferences for Ireland.
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