Environmental association Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH) has criticised the agreement reached between the EU, the United Kingdom and Norway regarding North Sea fishing quotas for 2026, describing them as an ‘opportunity missed’ to establish a sustainable fisheries policy.
DUH was commenting after the EU, UK and Norway concluded tripartite negotiations about quota setting and management for North Sea stock, bringing to an end months of discussions. The agreement sees cod quotas cut by 44%, herring cut by 20%, and lower quotas also set for pollock and haddock.
However, the DUH said that the established quotas ‘ignore essential scientific recommendations’, and jeopardise the recovery of already-depleted fish populations in the North Sea.
‘Slap in the face to science’
“Setting a catch quota for North Sea cod is a slap in the face to science and clearly contradicts the European commitment to end overfishing,” commented Sascha Müller-Kraenner, federal managing director, DUH.
“It ignores the mixed population structure, dashes any hope for the recovery of the collapsed southern subpopulation, and undermines both marine conservation and the future of the fishing sector, which depends on stable ecosystems. We can only achieve sustainable fishing through holistic management that considers the ecosystem as a whole. This includes selective fishing methods, strict controls, and a clear priority for ecological resilience over short-term profits.”
‘Particularly worrying’
Setting the total quota for cod at 14,034 tonnes for 2026 is ‘particularly worrying’, the group added, citing scientific recommendations that recommended reducing catch quotas to zero. It also said that the strategy both ‘jeopardises the future’ of North Sea herring, as well as the recovery of western Baltic herring.
According to DUH, the latest quota agreement places too much emphasis on short-term economic considerations while at the same time giving insufficient weight to ecosystem dynamics.
“Federal fisheries minister Alois Rainer must therefore urgently implement concrete measures for long-term, ecosystem-based fisheries management,” Müller-Kraenner added. Read more here.
