Mackerel stock critically low as Norway and coastal states ignore scientific advice

Norway and other coastal states have agreed on mackerel quotas for 2026 that far exceed scientific recommendations, despite warnings that the stock has fallen below critical levels, Dagbladet reports.

Researchers from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) had advised a 77 percent reduction in catches to prevent collapse, but negotiating parties—including Norway, the UK, the Faroe Islands, Iceland, the EU, and Greenland—settled on just a 60 percent cut. Russia, excluded from talks due to its invasion of Ukraine, was not allocated a share, though it retains fishing rights.

“A scandalous failure”
The mackerel stock in the northeast Atlantic has declined by 70 percent over the past decade, with Norway and other nations consistently fishing 130–140 percent above recommended limits, according to Jonny Hughes of the Blue Marine Foundation. “It’s been depressing to watch the same mistakes repeated year after year,” Hughes told Dagbladet, calling the management “scandalous.”

Geir Huse, research director at Norway’s Institute of Marine Research (HI), warned that the stock’s reproductive capacity is now severely weakened. “The downward trend must be reversed immediately to avoid collapse,” he stated. Daniel Steadman of the Pew Trusts added that coastal states have “collectively failed” to protect mackerel, as well as related species like blue whiting and herring.

Quotas still far too high
Scientists had recommended a maximum catch of 174,357 tonnes—the lowest advice in modern times—due to years of overfishing and poor recruitment of young fish. Instead, negotiators set the 2026 quota at 299,000 tonnes, with Norway receiving just over 25 percent and the UK over 30 percent.

Hughes questioned the logic behind persistent overfishing: “How can nations keep shooting themselves in the foot, both ecologically and economically?” He noted that while Russia’s exclusion complicates talks, “you can’t just pretend they don’t exist.”

The failure to reach a sustainable agreement means overfishing will likely continue, despite the stock’s precarious state.