The Scottish Pelagic Fishermen’s Association Ltd (SPFA) has been a steadfast advocate for the Scottish pelagic fishing fleet since 1932,

Mackerel Deal Extended, But Scottish Fishermen Demand 'Fully Comprehensive' Agreement

UNITED KINGDOM
Wednesday, December 17, 2025, 00:10 (GMT + 9)

Fishing Pressure Reduced by 9% in New Four-Party Accord; EU and Greenland Urged to Join

Scottish pelagic fishermen have issued a pointed response following the announcement of an extended sharing agreement for the Northeast Atlantic mackerel stock, which comes with a Total Allowable Catch (TAC) of 299,010 tonnes in 2026.

The new four-party agreement involves the UK, Norway, the Faroe Islands, and Iceland, and is set to reduce fishing pressure by a further nine per cent. This reduction is in addition to the progress made under the previous three-party sharing agreement between the UK, Norway, and the Faroe Islands.

Richard Williamson, the Shetland-based second skipper of the LK62 Research and chair of the Scottish Pelagic Fishermen’s Association (SPFA), welcomed the development while pressing for further inclusion. "The inclusion of Iceland within the existing three-party sharing agreement... clearly brings us closer to a fully comprehensive deal, and we urge both of the remaining coastal States in this fishery – the EU and Greenland – to come aboard," said Williamson.

He stressed the urgency, adding, "After almost four years of talks, it is high time that all parties came together to ensure the long-term viability of the mackerel stock. The EU in particular needs to take its responsibilities as seriously as other parties have.”

Ian Gatt, SPFA chief executive, praised the role of local negotiators. “UK and Scottish negotiators have played a crucial role in reducing fishing pressure on mackerel over the past three years, painful though that has been. This agreement further reduces fishing pressure by 9% of the global TAC," Gatt stated. He suggested this leadership would have been difficult to exercise from within the EU, whose role he confined to "empty rhetoric."

Gatt also highlighted the technical necessity of the deal. "Without this four-party arrangement, it would have been nigh impossible to agree a TAC in line with the Maximum Sustainable Yield catch scenario option as outlined by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea of 299,010 tonnes," he said. He concluded by encouraging the market to support the deal and pressure the EU and Greenland to join.

Speaking for the Shetland Fishermen’s Association, which represents a third of Scotland’s pelagic fleet, Simon Collins commented on the cost to the UK. He noted that the UK had "given up a significant part of its zonal attachment share of the mackerel fishery to drive progress on quota sharing."

Collins concluded with a strong caveat: “We all want a six-party deal that includes the EU and Greenland, but not at further cost to ourselves. We are already paying a heavy price, not just in terms of share but also in terms of the sheer concentration of effort in Scottish waters.”

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