The mackerel agreement signed by Norway, the United Kingdom, the Faroe Islands, and Iceland on 16 December 2025 sets a 2026 quota of 299,010 tonnes and a framework meant to reduce fishing pressure over time. The deal, which is intended to run until 2028, also updates how the four parties share access to each other’s fishing zones.
What the mackerel agreement changes for quotas and access
The agreement builds on a 2024 deal between Norway, the UK and the Faroe Islands, with Iceland now joining the arrangement. Shares have been adjusted, but the practical focus is clear: keeping fishing possible where the fleet can operate efficiently.
Norway will retain access to fish a large part of its quota in the UK’s exclusive economic zone. In exchange, the Faroe Islands and Iceland will be allowed to fish parts of their quotas in Norway’s exclusive economic zone.
For 2026, Norway’s quota is 78,939 tonnes. The overall quota agreed by the four parties for 2026 is 299,010 tonnes.
Why the quota cut still matters for stock sustainability
The signatories describe the new quota as a sharp reduction compared with 2025, and they frame it as necessary in light of the scientific advice. The headline point, however, is that this is also a political compromise over a highly mobile stock.
Northeast Atlantic mackerel is a migratory species whose distribution has shifted over time, changing where it is caught and how coastal states argue over the “right” share. When countries do not align on a common ceiling and a common allocation, the risk is that unilateral quotas add up to more fishing than the stock can sustain.
Iceland’s entry and what it signals in a post-Brexit landscape
Bringing Iceland into a multi-year framework is a practical step for regional fisheries governance. It acknowledges Iceland’s role as a major pelagic fishing nation and reduces the number of big actors operating outside the same management arrangement.
The agreement also shows how post-Brexit fisheries policy in the North Atlantic increasingly depends on a patchwork of bilateral access arrangements layered on top of wider regional talks. For Norway, keeping predictable access to UK waters for pelagic stocks remains strategically important.
Why the missing parties still shape the outcome
Norway’s government says the goal remains a broader agreement that also includes the European Union and Greenland. As long as major coastal actors are outside the same framework, there is a structural incentive for competing quota claims.
The new deal is presented as a way to “keep the door open” for wider consultations. Norway has signalled that it wants to resume talks with the EU and Greenland early in 2026, aiming for a more comprehensive solution.
What to watch next in Northeast Atlantic fisheries talks
The key test will be whether the new framework translates into lower total catches in practice, and whether it becomes a bridge to a wider coastal-state arrangement.
In parallel, the debate on quota-setting is likely to intensify. Scientific advice, industry pressure, and changing fish distribution will continue to collide in negotiations that are also politically sensitive for coastal communities across the North Atlantic.
