News item | 13-12-2025 | 08:20
The member states of the European Union (EU) have reached an agreement on fishing opportunities for sea fisheries in 2026. The agreement makes clear how much fishermen in the EU member states are allowed to catch per fish stock.
Fisheries agreements
Every year in December, the EU makes agreements about how much fish the various member states may catch in European seas in the coming year, the so-called fishing quotas. The EU concludes separate agreements with third countries (countries outside the EU) on fishing opportunities and also on access to each other’s waters, for example.
Important fish stocks for the Dutch fishing sector are sole, mackerel, sea bass, herring and horse mackerel. A number of fish stocks are so healthy that fishing opportunities for next year will increase. Examples of this are sole and sea bass. At the same time, a number of fish stocks have been adjusted downwards, for example herring, cod and mackerel.
State Secretary Jean Rummenie of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature (LVVN): The decline in pelagic stocks will seriously affect our fishermen. At the same time, I am satisfied that there has been an agreement on the fishing opportunities for 2026. A number of fish stocks, such as sole and sea bass, are also showing a significant increase. Even though the discussions were tough, we managed to put the interests of the Netherlands in Europe first. That means we can be proud of this result.
Pelagic stocks
This year the pelagic sector is experiencing worrying declines in a number of stocks such as mackerel and blue whiting. On mackerel, no agreement has yet been reached with the coastal states concerned (United Kingdom, Norway, Faroe Islands and Iceland) on the quota for 2026. The Council has decided to establish a temporary quota for this stock on the basis of scientific advice. This will allow EU fishermen to go fishing in the new year.
Another important point in this Council that the State Secretary has campaigned for is not granting the so-called Hague preferences, which allowed Irish fishermen to catch more fish at the expense of other EU countries. In light of declining pelagic stocks, this would hit other European fishermen particularly hard. That is why several countries, including the Netherlands, have put an end to these preferences.
Herring
An agreement has been reached on a new distribution key for North Sea herring between the European Union, the United Kingdom and Norway. Next year, 20% less herring may be caught in the North Sea and the Skagerrak. This decline could have been even greater, but new long-term agreements between the various countries can dampen this decline.
Sole fishing
The quota for sole will increase by 25% next year compared to 2025 for Dutch fishermen. In 2024, this sector was confronted with a significant decline, with major financial consequences for these fishermen. In 2025, fishing for sole was already allowed to increase significantly and, based on scientific advice, the stock will now increase again for 2026.
Sea bass
A compromise has been reached between the United Kingdom and the European Union on sea bass. Significantly more fish may be caught for the commercial fleet. At the same time, this agreement allows recreational sea fishermen to take home 3 pieces of fish per day instead of the current 2 per day. This means that every form of fishing can benefit from a higher catch limit.
Cod
The quota for North Sea cod will be reduced by 44%. This is necessary because this file is in a worrying state. At the same time, the rules of real time closures (RTC) for cod are being tightened. These rules allow certain areas to be temporarily closed if too many undersized fish are caught.
System of fishing quotas
Every year in December, the European fisheries ministers and the European Commission decide on the total catch quantities for the coming year. The EU’s commitment – and that of the Netherlands – is that the fishing opportunities are based on multi-annual management plans and scientific advice from ICES (International Council for the Exploration of the Sea). This assesses how much fish can be caught from a stock without depleting it. On this basis, the so-called Total Allowable Catch (TAC) is negotiated per file. It is then determined how much of this a Member State may catch, the quota. The outcomes of the negotiations are determined by the European Council of Fisheries Ministers. The quotas for the individual fishermen are then derived from the total catch quantities using a fixed distribution key. The outcomes of the negotiations for the Netherlands are converted into national regulations. This will be published before January 1. Fishermen can then take advantage of the new fishing opportunities from the start of the new year.