Scottish processors warn ICES’s proposed 70% cut to 2026 mackerel quotas would devastate jobs, exports and communities in Peterhead, Fraserburgh and Lerwick
The Scottish pelagic processing sector has warned that proposed cuts to the north-east Atlantic mackerel quota would have catastrophic effects on jobs and exports, following advice published today by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES).
ICES has recommended a 70% reduction in the mackerel Total Allowable Catch (TAC) for 2026. The advice, if followed, would slash landings and in turn the supply of raw material for Scotland’s processing industry.
Jobs and Communities at Risk
The Scottish Pelagic Processors’ Association (SPPA) said such a cut would be “devastating” for the industry, which employs around 2,500 people, mainly in Peterhead, Fraserburgh and Lerwick. Robert Duthie, chairman of the SPPA, said jobs both directly in processing and across the wider supply chain were under threat.
“As well as the direct employment, there are many other support jobs dependent upon mackerel, including in logistics, packaging, engineering and port services,” said Duthie. “Such a huge cut in quota would potentially have a devastating impact.”
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Export Markets in Jeopardy
Mackerel is one of Scotland’s most important seafood products, both for domestic consumption and international trade. Processed products such as canned and smoked mackerel are widely sold in the UK, while premium export markets in Asia represent a major revenue stream. The SPPA said all of these would be placed at risk if ICES advice were implemented.
Doubts Over the Science
Duthie also criticised the scientific basis of the advice, arguing that ICES had applied a new methodology that paints an unduly pessimistic picture of the stock.
“The advice from ICES is using a revised methodology on how much young fish enter the spawning stock biomass, which is an arbitrary figure and we are certain doesn’t reflect the true situation of the mackerel stock. It adopts a ‘worst-case’ scenario,” he said.
Call for International Agreement
While acknowledging ongoing problems with mackerel management, in particular the failure of coastal states to agree on quota sharing, the SPPA insisted that the scale of the proposed cut was unjustified.
“There are, of course, ongoing issues with mackerel management that need resolved, most notably the failure of coastal states to reach a comprehensive international agreement, which is something both UK catchers and processors have long been calling for. But despite this, the catch advice by ICES is unnecessarily harsh and is based on doubtful science. We urge for a common-sense approach when it comes to deciding upon the final quota allocations for 2026,” Duthie said.
