European fishing organisations, Europe he and the EAPO are calling for a fresh approach after NEAFC talks reach dead end for 2025
Calls for an overhaul of shared fisheries governance in the Northeast Atlantic have intensified after last week’s North East Atlantic Fisheries Commission (NEAFC) Annual Meeting ended without agreement on key management measures for 2026. The EU pelagic industry says the meeting in London exposed a system “deeply flawed” and increasingly shaped by geopolitical manoeuvring rather than responsible stock management.
According to industry representatives, negotiations between the EU, UK, Norway, Faroe Islands, Greenland and the Russian Federation quickly deteriorated, with parties “cold-shouldering” each other and slipping into political gamesmanship. The Russian Federation also re-emerged as a “pivotal player”, with visible support from several other delegations.
No TACs, No Progress, And Rising Tensions
The meeting, held from 11–14 November, was expected to deliver the 2026 Total Allowable Catches (TACs) for mackerel, blue whiting and Atlanto-Scandian herring. Instead, delegations became stuck in entrenched positions, leaving no TACs for mackerel or blue whiting, no progress on tightening rules against transhipment, and no clarity on whether Russian catch data will be submitted. Such data is considered essential for robust scientific advice.
The industry argues that NEAFC’s inability to support constructive cooperation sits in sharp contrast to the more consistent performance of other Regional Fisheries Management Organisations, including NAFO in the North Atlantic, SPRFMO in the South Pacific and the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission. The result, they say, is a continuation of years of failed bilateral, trilateral and multilateral talks across the Northeast Atlantic.
“This situation calls for urgent evaluation and independent intervention,” the industry warned.
EU Industry Concerns Over Isolation
The EU pelagic sector also voiced alarm at what it described as the EU becoming “largely isolated” during the meeting. Industry representatives said discussions repeatedly went against “sensible and responsible” management approaches and leaned instead toward Russian interests.
They argue there was “no good reason” for failing to adopt a blue whiting TAC that had already been outlined at the October Coastal States consultations, nor any justification for a lack of progress on a broader mackerel package covering a TAC, a sharing arrangement and supporting measures such as limits on catches in international waters. With fleets already facing severe quota cuts in 2025, the lack of clarity leaves fishing plans in disarray.
It also emerged that sensitive mackerel discussions were continuing without the active participation of the EU or the chair of the consultations, a development the industry described as “extremely disheartening”.
Warning Over Mackerel Stock At “Critical Level”
The EU industry reiterated its position that it remains the only Coastal State still adhering to the most recent quota-sharing arrangement. Other parties have set what it considers excessive unilateral quotas, swapped inflated allowances or entered partial deals that reinforce overfishing.
The result, it says, is a mackerel stock now at a “critical level”. Failure to follow scientific advice in 2026 could lead to a zero-catch recommendation in 2027. The industry cites previous “hindcast” research showing that if overshooting had not occurred, managers would now be able to increase the TAC, with catches over the past decade potentially 30% higher on average.
To counter continued unilateralism, the EU industry is urging the European Commission to apply targeted trade measures under the revised Regulation 1026/2012, which addresses non-sustainable fishing by third countries.
Industry Calls For Reset In Regional Relations
Tim Heddema, spokesperson for the EU pelagic fishing industry, said: “Fisheries management in the Northeast Atlantic is at a crossroads. Do we keep fighting small battles – with sometimes huge consequences – on several different battlegrounds? Will parties stay entrenched in positions that only they feel are justified? Neither fish stocks nor fleets, certainly not the EU’s, have benefited from current practices, which have also been fraught with geopolitical tensions. It seems the time has come to take a fresh look at the entirety of our relations and interests and on how a management body like NEAFC can support our cooperation. As an industry, we are ready to play our part as always. In the meantime, all efforts should be undertaken to set a mackerel TAC for 2026 and reach agreement on a comprehensive management package for this key stock.”
The industry says only a coordinated, good-faith reset among all Coastal States will prevent further decline of shared pelagic stocks and restore functional management in the Northeast Atlantic.
