ICES Reissues North Sea Herring Advice after UK, EU & Norway Request

ices north sea herring 2023 2024 scottish pelagic irish sea herring 2024 new herring season underway tasty scottish silver darlings 2025

ICES reissues advice for North Sea herring after UK, EU and Norway request, recommending 29% TAC cut and full protection for WBSS stock

ICES Reissues Advice and Recommends 29% Catch Reduction for 2026 North Sea Herring

The International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) has reissued its advice for North Sea autumn-spawning herring, recommending a total allowable catch (TAC) of no more than 287,772 tonnes in 2026. The figure represents a 29.9% reduction compared with the previous advice issued in April 2025.

This latest advice, published on 10 October 2025, follows a joint request from the UK, EU and Norway asking ICES to recalculate catch limits using a new Long-Term Management Strategy (LTMS) known as option MS3. The new recommendation replaces all earlier 2025 advice and forms the scientific basis for forthcoming trilateral quota negotiations.

Trilateral Request for Revised Management Approach

The UK, EU and Norway jointly agreed on the need for a revised, precautionary management plan following completion of ICES’ Management Strategy Evaluation (MSE) process for North Sea autumn-spawning herring, carried out by the WKMSEHerring workshop.

In their joint communication, the three delegations requested that ICES reissue its annual advice incorporating the MS3 harvest control rule. This management approach combines a target fishing mortality (Ftarget) of 0.23, a biomass trigger (Btrigger) of one million tonnes, and a stability constraint which limits annual TAC variation to no more than 20% lower or 25% higher than the previous year. The TAC constraint does not apply if the spawning-stock biomass (SSB) at spawning time is at or below Btrigger.

The delegations asked ICES to issue this revised advice by early October 2025 to allow time for its use in setting the 2026 TAC. The request was made pending a formal agreement between the three parties on a shared long-term management strategy for the stock.

Updated Scientific Advice and Stock Status

ICES said its new calculations, using the MS3 rule, indicate that 2026 catches should not exceed 287,772 tonnes. The fishery for North Sea autumn-spawning (NSAS) herring includes some individuals from the western Baltic spring-spawning (WBSS) stock, which remains below Blim. To be consistent with ICES advice, catches of WBSS herring in 2026 should be zero tonnes.

ICES advised that the fishery can avoid WBSS herring by not operating in the eastern parts of divisions 4.a and 4.b, or in Division 3.a. The organisation emphasised that this restriction is essential to prevent further depletion of the western Baltic component.

According to ICES, the 2026 spawning-stock biomass (SSB) is projected to decline from 1.25 million tonnes in 2025 to around 1.07 million tonnes, though it remains above precautionary thresholds (MSY Btrigger, BPA and Blim). Fishing mortality, however, continues to exceed FMSY and FPA. Recruitment in 2025 was described as the lowest since the late 1970s.

Revised Management Reference Points

The 2025 benchmark process resulted in lower reference points for MSY, which combined with weak recruitment led to a significant downward revision in catch advice. The MS3 management rule applied in the October reissue represents a more conservative and stabilising approach, aiming to limit year-to-year volatility while protecting stock biomass.

ICES confirmed that the MS3 option has been evaluated as precautionary under the MSE process, but it has not yet been formally adopted by the three management partners.

Environmental and Ecosystem Considerations

ICES also warned against activities that could damage spawning grounds, stating: “No activities on spawning habitats should be allowed unless the effects of these activities have been assessed and shown not to be detrimental.” The organisation pointed to potential risks from gravel extraction and offshore renewable energy projects, adding that cumulative non-fisheries impacts on spawning grounds remain poorly understood.

Outlook for 2026 and Next Steps

The updated advice places further pressure on pelagic fleets operating in the North Sea, as the recommended TAC drops from 410,707 tonnes in 2025 to 287,772 tonnes in 2026. Negotiations between the EU, Norway and the UK later this year will determine whether the MS3-based recommendation is accepted in full or adjusted for socio-economic reasons.

While the trilateral request demonstrates renewed cooperation among the three parties after years of tension over pelagic management, the proposed cut highlights continuing challenges for the herring sector. ICES has reiterated that recovery of the WBSS component remains critical to long-term sustainability.

ICES Advice - EU, Norway, and UK joint request to incorporate the Long-Term Management Strategy option MS3 (ICES, 2025a) in the advice for herring (Clupea harengus) in Subarea 4 and divisions 3.a and 7.d, autumn spawners (North Sea, Skagerrak and Kattegat, eastern English Channel)

Source: ICES