Ireland urges EU action on Northeast Atlantic mackerel crisis as Poland and Latvia back call to confront third-country quotas and protect fishermen
AOB Paper Tables Urgent Appeal At AgriFish Council
Ireland has tabled an “Any Other Business” (AOB) item at today’s Agriculture and Fisheries (AgriFish) Council (26 January 2026), calling for immediate European Union action to address what it describes as a mounting crisis in the Northeast Atlantic mackerel fishery.
The Irish initiative is supported by Poland and Latvia and is set out in a Council note dated 23 January 2026 (document 5640/26).
Coastal States Deal Ignored ICES Advice And Excluded EU
The paper highlights that on 15 December 2025 four Coastal States agreed a Total Allowable Catch (TAC) for Northeast Atlantic mackerel that “disregards the headline advice provided by ICES.” According to the three Member States, both the outcome and the manner in which it was reached present “a stark outlook” for stock sustainability.
Crucially, the EU was excluded from that arrangement despite being “a key Coastal State for this stock,” the paper states. Member States have repeatedly warned that unsustainable unilateral quotas set by Northeast Atlantic third countries have damaged the stock condition and caused significant negative economic impacts for the EU seafood sector.
Call To Use Unsustainable Fishing Regulation Against Third Countries
Ireland, Poland and Latvia argue that “now more than ever” a concerted EU response is required to counter actions by third countries that “threaten the viability of this stock and the sustainability of our fishermen and women.”
They recall that the EU has instruments available, specifically Regulation (EU) No 1026/2012 on unsustainable fishing by third countries, which provides a legal basis for concrete Union measures where a stock of common interest is being fished unsustainably outside the EU.
Commission Pressed For Immediate Measures And Clear Signals
The three Member States ask the European Commission to set out what actions it will take now—or proposes to take—to ensure all parties, inside the EU and among the four other Coastal States, “are left in no doubt” about the importance the EU attaches to the survival of its pelagic sector and the prosperity of dependent coastal communities.
They underscore that with “extremely low fishing opportunities for mackerel for 2026,” steps are needed to offset the very severe impacts facing EU fishermen as a direct result of unsustainable fishing activities by third countries.
Plea For Emergency Support Under EMFAF Article 26(2)
As part of the response, Ireland, Poland and Latvia call for sectoral support through emergency market measures for affected fishermen. They specifically cite the possibility of an implementing decision under Article 26(2) of the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) Regulation.
2026 Outlook: Severely Reduced Opportunities For EU Fishermen
The note warns that the mackerel outlook in 2026 is already “extremely low” for EU fleets, amplifying the urgency of enforcement and support. The three Member States insist the EU must act decisively—both to deter reckless quota-setting beyond its borders and to cushion the immediate economic shock now confronting pelagic fishermen and the communities that rely on them.
