PelAC raises concerns over ICES process for 2026 advice and sets priorities on mackerel, herring, boarfish and ecosystem‑based management.
PelAC Outlines Concerns With 2026 ICES Advice Process
The Pelagic Advisory Council (PelAC) has issued a detailed statement highlighting concerns surrounding the 2026 scientific advice process conducted by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES).
The document follows the MIRIA preparatory meeting and reflects PelAC’s assessment of the scientific workflow, transparency and adherence to ICES guidelines in the preparation of catch advice for key pelagic stocks.
PelAC noted that ICES completed significant scientific work during 2025, including benchmarks for mackerel and Norwegian Sea spring‑spawning herring, as well as the Management Strategy Evaluation (MSE) for North Sea autumn‑spawning herring, and reports on offshore renewable energy impacts, aquatic animal welfare, ecosystem objectives and other ongoing advisory work.
However, PelAC highlighted procedural issues that emerged in the development of the 2026 mackerel catch advice.
Conflicting Recruitment Assumptions Raise Transparency Issues
According to the statement, PelAC’s main concern centres on conflicting scientific recommendations between the ICES Working Group on Widely Distributed Stocks (WGWIDE) and the Advice Drafting Group (ADG). WGWIDE and the earlier benchmark had both concluded that the 2014–2024 recruitment period represented the most plausible low‑productivity scenario under the updated ICES guidelines for stocks below Blim.
The ADG, however, opted to use 2017–2024 recruitment assumptions, reducing the mackerel catch advice from 299,010 tonnes to 174,357 tonnes. PelAC stated that it “has no issue with ICES’s final catch recommendation,” but emphasised that the ADG’s deviation from WGWIDE and benchmark conclusions “lacked transparency” and “undermines confidence” in the advisory process.
PelAC noted that several bodies, including the Benchmark Oversight Group, Expert Working Group and ADG itself, could have flagged concerns earlier regarding the application of the new guidelines.
Priorities Set for 2026: LTMS, Genetic Work and EBFM
The PelAC outlined several priority areas for 2026.
The first is the development of Long‑Term Management Strategies (LTMS) for mackerel, Atlanto‑Scandian herring and boarfish, supported by new Management Strategy Evaluation requests incorporating climate considerations, trophic role, and implementation error. The PelAC will host a dedicated workshop on 10 February 2026 in Brussels to advance ecosystem‑based fisheries management through MSE.
A second priority is improving understanding of herring stock mixing through genetic analysis between Irish Sea and Celtic Sea herring, as well as between components of North Sea herring. PelAC expressed disappointment that an EMFAF project proposal intended to build an Atlantic Herring Population repository was not funded, delaying essential data collection.
Third, PelAC highlighted the need to follow up on ICES’ Horse Mackerel research plan, which notes that assessment processes are “reactive to degrading quality of update assessments rather than proactive.” The council’s Horse Mackerel Focus Group will support ongoing research to improve stock identification, sampling programmes, biological and fisheries‑dependent data, and benchmark planning.
PelAC Calls for Application of FEISA in Case Studies
The council also urged the implementation of the Framework for Ecosystem‑Informed Science and Advice (FEISA). In a letter referenced within the statement, PelAC recommended applying FEISA through targeted case studies, particularly for North Sea herring, due to the availability of extensive data and an existing Management Strategy Evaluation framework.
PelAC proposes integrating ecological risk dimensions such as climate impacts, food‑web roles, bycatch, CO₂ emissions, vulnerable marine ecosystems, marine protected areas, offshore energy interactions, spawning habitat vulnerability, shifting distributions and changes in predation.
Recommendations for the Next ICES–Commission Framework Partnership Agreement
The year 2026 marks the final year of the current ICES–Commission Framework Partnership Agreement (FPA). PelAC used the opportunity to make three recommendations for the next agreement:
- more resources to ensure multiple stock assessors, ideally from different institutes, for each stock
- better balance of funding between data collection and scientific training
- greater inclusion of Advisory Councils in ICES–Commission drafting processes, especially for technical initiatives requiring stakeholder engagement.
PelAC argued that stronger participation of advisory councils aligns with the European Commission’s Better Regulation Toolbox, which emphasises targeted consultations for specialised technical work.
Annex Highlights Concerns Over Mackerel Guidelines Application
An extensive annex offers further detail on the mackerel advice issue, noting that the 2025 benchmark report, external reviews and the Benchmark Oversight Group all affirmed the 2014 productivity shift and supported using 2014 onward recruitment assumptions. WGWIDE likewise reaffirmed this period, noting the lack of scientific justification for switching to 2017–2024.
The ADG nonetheless adopted the 2017–2024 assumptions, citing the higher contribution of 2026 and 2027 recruitments to future catches. PelAC emphasised that the core issue was process, not catch levels: scientific decisions should be taken by expert groups, not by drafting groups.
Additional Stock‑Specific Recommendations
The statement also lists several stock‑specific recommendations, including:
- further work on Atlanto‑Scandian herring concerning large incoming cohorts, natural mortality estimates and development of a precautionary LTMS
- genetic assessment and evaluation of 6a North herring, especially regarding the influence of spring spawners on length‑based indicators
- re‑evaluation of the 6a South and 7b,c herring constant harvest rule, as its initial basis assumed an incorrect stock composition.
