The Council of the European Union has reached an agreement on fishing opportunities in the Baltic Sea for 2027, covering catch limits for herring, cod, plaice, sprat and salmon.
As part of the agreement, the Council agreed on limits for total allowable catches (TACs), based on scientific advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES).
The political agreement aims to protect the marine environment and support the recovery of fish stocks and the long-term viability of the fishing sector.
Martin Heydon, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine of Ireland, stated, “Today’s agreement on next year’s fishing opportunities in the Baltic Sea builds on our concerted efforts in recent years, which are beginning to yield results.”
Total Allowable Catches
As part of the new agreement, fishing opportunities for sprat rose by 44%, based on recent growth in the stock and expected future growth.
The Council also agreed to raise the TACs for Central Baltic herring by 71%, which remains below the advised level, while the three-month closure during the spawning season will remain in place under the new agreement.
Catch limits for Gulf of Riga herring were increased by 11%, while the TACs for Bothnian herring were raised by 12%, with a three-month restriction period in shallow coastal waters during spawning season.
The TACs for unavoidable by-catches of Western Baltic herring will remain at their 2026 level.
Similarly, catch limits and by-catch limits for salmon will also remain at their 2026 level, while TACs for plaice were raised by 3%.
With continued poor stock levels of Eastern and Western Baltic cod, the Council agreed to retain the catch limits for by-catches at their 2026 levels.
In addition, the agreement will maintain the prohibition of recreational cod-fishing in the Baltic Sea.
Norway Pout
The Council also agreed on fishing opportunities for Norway pout in the North Sea.
As the stock is shared by the EU and the UK, the Council held consultations with the UK, agreeing on an EU catch limit of 300 tonnes for by-catches only.