The EU Commission has expressed regret on the lack of progress in coastal states mackerel talks and urges renewed efforts to secure sustainable management agreement.
Commission Criticises Stalled Negotiations on Mackerel Sharing
The European Commission has expressed frustration at the lack of progress during the latest coastal states consultations on the management and quota sharing of the North East Atlantic mackerel stock.
Talks held on 5 and 6 March were convened by the European Union, acting as chair of the consultations, in an attempt to move discussions forward towards a comprehensive long-term sharing arrangement for the fishery. According to the Commission, the objective of the meeting was to continue negotiations and encourage parties to work towards a sustainable management framework for a stock it now describes as “ailing”.
However, the Commission said the discussions failed to deliver any meaningful progress despite what it described as earlier assurances from several participants that they would approach the negotiations with “constructive flexibility”.
In a statement following the meeting, the Commission said it regretted that the opportunity to advance negotiations had been missed.
EU Claims Constructive Role in Negotiations
The European Union said it had approached the latest round of consultations with the intention of facilitating agreement among coastal states, stressing that it had shown openness and flexibility in its role as chair.
According to the Commission, the EU has consistently sought to meet its obligations as a coastal state under the principles set out in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. It said that throughout the consultations over the past five years it had promoted sustainable management of the mackerel stock and argued for adherence to scientific advice.
The Commission stated that during negotiations it had repeatedly raised concerns about the need to respect the catch advice provided by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea and to address what it describes as continued overfishing of the stock by Russia.
The dispute over mackerel quota allocations has been ongoing for several years, with coastal states unable to agree on a long-term distribution of fishing opportunities as the stock’s migration patterns have shifted further north and west.
Long-Running Dispute Over Mackerel Allocation
The failure to reach agreement has resulted in repeated unilateral quota decisions by coastal states, leading to combined catches that regularly exceed the levels recommended by scientists.
This situation has been widely criticised by environmental organisations and parts of the seafood supply chain, which argue that the absence of a comprehensive agreement undermines the sustainable management of one of the North East Atlantic’s most valuable pelagic fisheries.
The Commission maintains that the EU has consistently set its share of the total allowable catch at what it considers a stable and legitimate level throughout the dispute.
It also emphasised that Greenland’s interests must be recognised within any future arrangement, reflecting the growing importance of the stock in Greenlandic waters.
Commission Calls for Immediate Action
Despite the lack of progress in the latest consultations, the Commission said it would continue to pursue negotiations in a constructive manner.
The EU said it would maintain a flexible approach in future discussions while seeking a solution that reflects what it described as the legitimate interests of both the European Union and Greenland.
At the same time, the Commission warned that immediate and meaningful action from all parties is required if the stock is to recover.
Without such measures, it said both the resource and the fishing sector that depend on it remain at risk.