Baltic Sea fishing quotas for 2027 will rise sharply for herring and sprat after European Union fisheries ministers reached a political agreement in Luxembourg on Monday, 26 October. The deal raises permitted catches while retaining restrictions intended to help depleted fish stocks recover.
According to the Council of the EU’s announcement, the catch limit for central Baltic herring will increase by 71% compared with 2026. The limit for herring in the Gulf of Bothnia will rise by 12%, while the quota for sprat will increase by 44%.
Higher Baltic fishing quotas, but restrictions remain
The increases follow scientific advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES), which estimates that some stocks are growing. The central Baltic herring limit remains below the level indicated by scientific advice, while the increase for sprat is in line with it.
Ministers also agreed to increase the Gulf of Riga herring limit by 11% and the plaice limit by 3%. Fishing for eastern and western Baltic cod remains limited to unavoidable by-catches, meaning fish accidentally caught while targeting other species. Recreational cod fishing will remain prohibited across the Baltic.
Seasonal restrictions are also being retained for herring reproduction, including a three-month closure in the central Baltic and restrictions in shallow coastal waters in the Gulf of Bothnia.
Finland welcomes the deal, while Sweden wanted lower limits
Finland’s Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, Sari Essayah, welcomed the agreement, describing it as science-based and supportive of stronger fish stocks, according to Finnish public broadcaster Yle. The increase in the Gulf of Bothnia herring quota is particularly important for Finland’s fishing industry.
Sweden’s Minister for Rural Affairs, Peter Kullgren, said his government had pushed for more restrictive limits to accelerate stock recovery, particularly for herring. In a statement from the Swedish government, he said Sweden would have preferred even more cautious quotas but lacked sufficient support from other member states.
The Swedish government said the agreed limits were expected to increase herring biomass by 13.5% in the central Baltic and by more than 1% in the Gulf of Bothnia next year. These are projections based on scientific advice, not increases already recorded.
The decision matters for fishing communities around the Baltic, including in Finland, Sweden and Denmark, where catch limits affect commercial fishing while governments face continuing pressure to restore marine ecosystems. The sea is also affected by nutrient pollution, biodiversity loss and climate change.
The agreement is not yet a formally adopted regulation. The Council will adopt the final text at a later meeting after it has been finalised in all EU languages.
