Norway establishes a national quota for Northeast Atlantic Mackerel for 2021

– It was not possible to continue the coastal state agreement for mackerel, following the United Kingdom leaving the EU and becoming an independent coastal State. I regret that it was not possible to continue the coastal State agreement on sharing and management of mackerel after the UK became an independent coastal State, says Minister for Fisheries and Seafood Odd Emil Ingebrigtsen. This agreement has been very important in securing responsible management of the stock, as well as providing stability and predictability for all parties involved.

The original parties to the coastal Stage Agreement, which expired at the end of 2020, were Norway, the European Union, and the Faroe Islands, and encompassed the main coastal States.

– From the Norwegian side, we will continue to work for an agreement that encompasses all coastal States. The negotiations about the management of mackerel stock from 2022 and onwards are planned to resume during the fall, says Minister for Fisheries and Seafood Odd Emil Ingebrigtsen

The Norwegian quota for 2021 constitutes 35 pct of the agreed total allowable catch quota (TAC) for mackerel. This quota level is based on assessments of how much of the mackerel occur in waters under Norwegian jurisdiction during the year.

There have been substantial changes in the migration pattern and spatial distribution of the North-East Atlantic mackerel during the last years towards a more north-eastern distribution.  The occurrence of mackerel in Norwegian waters has increased substantially compared to 2014 when the mackerel agreement was established.