ICES Sets 2026 Norway Lobster/Nephrops Catch Limits Advice

Small-scale Scottish fishing is at a loss to highly-funded NGOs says Clyde Fishermen's Association, Executive Secretary, Elaine Whyte Scottish government nephrops discards

ICES issues 2026 catch limits for Norway lobster (Nephrops) stocks in northern and eastern Atlantic Waters

The International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) has published its advice on fishing opportunities for Norway lobster, or Nephrops norvegicus, across multiple Functional Units (FUs) in the Celtic Seas and Greater North Sea ecoregions for 2026.

The advice is primarily based on the Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY) approach and emphasizes that management should be implemented at the level of the individual Functional Unit to ensure stocks are exploited sustainably.

The most prominent advice was issued for the Porcupine Bank (FU 16), located west and southwest of Ireland. For this area, ICES advises that catches in 2026 should be between 1,750 and 2,169 tonnes, assuming zero discards. The current assessment indicates that fishing pressure on this stock is above the FMSY level.

Similarly prominent is the advice for the Fladen Ground (FU 7) in the northern North Sea. For the Fladen Ground, ICES advises that catches in 2026 should be no more than 11,559 tonnes. In contrast to the Porcupine stock, fishing pressure on the Fladen Ground stock is currently assessed as being below FMSY, and the stock size is above the MSY Btrigger reference point.

Focusing next on the Celtic Sea area, specifically Functional Units 20-21 (divisions 7.g and 7.h), the advice indicates that catches in 2026 should be no more than 3,171 tonnes. For this combined stock, fishing pressure is currently above FMSY, although the stock size remains above MSY Btrigger. ICES advises that a transfer of advised catch from other FUs into this area could lead to overexploitation.

For other important fishing grounds, ICES issued the following catch limits for 2026:

The Irish Sea West (FU 15) is advised to have a catch limit of no more than 6,493 tonnes, noting that fishing pressure is currently below FMSY but the stock size is also below the MSY Btrigger.

For the West of Scotland stocks, the advice is segmented by the smaller Functional Units: The South Minch (FU 12) is advised a catch limit of no more than 9,603 tonnes.

The North Minch (FU 11) is advised a catch limit of no more than 5,971 tonnes.

The Firth of Clyde and Sound of Jura (FU 13) has a combined limit of 6,080 tonnes, which is further broken down to 5,148 tonnes for the Firth of Clyde and 932 tonnes for the Sound of Jura.

Finally, the central North Sea Farn Deeps (FU 6) stock is advised a limit of no more than 2,176 tonnes. For this stock, fishing pressure is above FMSY.

These assessments provide the framework for management authorities to set Total Allowable Catches (TACs) and ensure that fishermen are operating under sustainable limits across the various sea regions. The advice assumes that discard rates and fishery selection patterns will not change significantly from the average of the years 2022 to 2024.

The full ICES Advice on Nephrops is Available by clicking here

Source: ICES