Fishing - pelagic quota cuts 2026 - consultation outcome: Scottish Government response

Executive Summary

This document sets out the Scottish Government’s response to urgent calls from the pelagic processing sector for government action following ICES advice recommending unprecedented quota reductions for mackerel in 2026 alongside significant reductions for herring. It examines stakeholder feedback in detail, alongside landings and socio-economic evidence, and explains the decision to introduce an emergency species-specific increased landing requirement for mackerel and herring, at 70%, for 2026. The measure aims to safeguard Scotland’s processing capacity for the longer term, during an exceptional quota constraint for the mackerel stock. The document also summarises considerations around Additional Quota (AQ) distribution for mackerel and herring, noting that while AQ allocation will remain unchanged for 2026, stakeholder views on alternative approaches have been noted and help inform future policy development. This document should be read in conjunction with the other impact assessments prepared as part of this exercise, which together set out the full rationale for the decision to increase the landings target element of economic link.

This decision comes so close to year end as we awaited the outcome of internation negotiations as to what the relevant mackerel TAC for 2026, details on the TAC were announced on 16 December 2025^[1].