European Union, Norway and the United Kingdom - fisheries consultations: agreed records 2026

15 Cod

15.1 The Delegations noted the ICES advice for 2026 that, when the MSY approach and precautionary considerations are applied, the TAC for Northern Shelf cod should be 0 tonnes. The Delegations also noted the ICES advice that, when the MSY approach without precautionary considerations is applied to the Northwestern and Viking sub-stocks and when the MSY approach with precautionary considerations is applied to the Southern sub-stock catches in 2026 should be no more than 8670 tonnes, 3610 tonnes and 0 tonnes respectively. This adds up to no more than 12,280 tonnes for 2026.

15.2 The Delegations noted that ICES estimates that discards and BMS landings are at 18% of total catch (by weight) in 2024. ICES projects a discards rate of 17.2% of total catch (by weight) in 2025. 

15.3 The Delegations noted the difficulties of translating that advice into the four TAC management areas also due to unknown levels of mixing between the sub-stocks.

15.4 The Delegations agreed that the quota allocation to Division 6.a should continue to be determined within this trilateral forum, as was the case in 2024 and 2025, noting that 6.a is part of the Northern Shelf cod advice. The Delegations recalled that in the 2024 Agreed Record they had agreed that they would seek to devise a methodology that better aligns ICES sub-stock based advice with effective TAC area management. They had noted that the allocation of quotas to each TAC area should form part of considerations to underpin the sustainable management of the stock in future years. The Delegations had noted that this approach would require further work, and therefore agreed that, as an interim and ad hoc approach for 2026, the quota allocation for Division 6.a would be based on the proportion of the TAC allocated to this area in 2024 and 2025.

15.5 Noting the ICES advice, and the urgency of the situation, the Delegations agreed that a multi-year approach was required to reduce fishing pressure, increase biomass and recover the sub-stocks to MSY levels as soon as possible. They agreed that such an approach required actions in both the short and longer term. In the short term, the Delegations agreed this approach would include new and expanded seasonal closures, updates to Real Time Closure (RTC) regimes and new restrictions on targeting cod in the Southern North Sea. In the longer-term, this would include further work to be led by the Northern Shelf Cod Management Working Group, continuing to work collaboratively with their respective industry stakeholders, under the direction of heads of Delegation.

15.6 On seasonal closures to protect spawning grounds, the EU Delegation informed the UK and Norwegian Delegations of two new closures in EU waters of Division 4.b and two expanded closures in EU waters of Division 3.a. The UK Delegation informed the EU and Norwegian Delegations of the creation of a new seasonal closure in the Foula Deeps and an expansion in size of the existing closure East of Fair Isle.  These closures are situated in UK waters of Division 4.a and are detailed at rows 5b & 7 of Annex III. The Norwegian Delegation informed the UK and EU Delegations that Norway will expand the period of closures of three existing areas in Norwegian waters. These new and expanded closures are listed in Annex III and will come into force from 1st January 2026.

15.7 On RTCs, the Delegations acknowledged that RTC regimes for juvenile gadoid stocks in their respective waters have been in place since 2010 and that, due to changes in stock condition since then, it would be appropriate to update them. Accordingly, the Delegations agreed that a revision of the catch trigger levels of stocks other than cod covered by the RTCs should be part of the overall review of the existing RTC regimes, as defined in the Terms of Reference of the Cod Management Working Group included in Annex V.

15.8 The EU Delegation informed the UK and Norwegian Delegations that, for the Eastern Channel (ICES Division 7.d), Southern North Sea (ICES Division 4.c) and central North Sea (ICES Division 4.b), the required proportion of cod in a sample, relative to the total of the four stocks, resulting in a reduction the juvenile-catch trigger level, will be lowered from 75% to 25%. This update will come into force 1st January 2026 and will apply through quarter 1.

15.9 The EU also informed that the size of the closures will increase from 50 nm2 up to 225nm2, except in Skagerrak (ICES Division 3.a), Eastern Channel (ICES Division 7.d) and Southern North Sea (ICES Division 4.c) where the size of the closures will increase up to 100 nm2 to account for geographic considerations. This update will come into force 1st January 2026.

15.10 The UK Delegation informed the EU and Norwegian Delegations that in UK waters, alongside RTCs for juvenile gadoids, it also has an RTC regime in place for high aggregations of cod, under its current National Cod Avoidance Plan (NCAP). In connection, the UK informed the Delegations of their intention to update the trigger levels for RTCs for high aggregations of cod in Divisions 4.b and 4.c, from 80 to 60 cod per hour, and that this change will be in operation from 1st January 2026. The UK also noted its intention to mirror EU changes in their juvenile RTC regime, subject to consultation and legislative processes during 2026. 

15.11 The Norwegian Delegation noted that their RTC regime allow closures of up to 500 nm2 in the North Sea and up to 250 nm2 in the Skagerrak, and that closures are triggered by an intermixture of juvenile cod, haddock, saithe and whiting larger than 15 % in number. Furthermore, the Norwegian Delegation informed the EU and UK Delegations that they would conduct public consultations with the aim of expanding the duration of closures from 14 to 21 days and amend the requirements on sampling in the Norwegian RTC regime from a two-sample system to a one-sample system to trigger closures for cod by the first half of 2026. 

15.12 On restrictions in the Southern North Sea on targeting cod, the UK informed the EU and Norwegian Delegations that it would restrict catches for UK vessels in Division 4.b and 4.c to 250 tonnes. The EU informed the UK and Norwegian delegation that it would restrict catches for EU vessels in Divisions 4.b and 4.c to 1,500 tonnes. The Norwegian Delegation noted that current Norwegian management measures will limit Norwegian catches in Divisions 4.b and 4.c. The UK and EU Delegations also informed the Norwegian Delegation that catches in Division 7.d would be restricted to bycatch only. 

15.13 On the Cod Management Working Group, the Delegations welcomed the report provided by the Working Group during the intersessional meeting of the Parties in June 2025. The Delegations agreed to update the group’s Terms of Reference so that by the intersessional meeting of the Parties in 2026, the group will have developed a longer-term plan for the joint management of Northern Shelf cod that establishes a clear evidence base for management improvements, including measures to reduce discarding. This plan will recommend additional actions to improve and update the current management measures, over and above those set out in this Agreed Record, including an overall revision of the existing RTC regimes, seasonal closures and gear selectivity measures. The updated Terms of Reference are set out in Annex V.

15.14 The Delegations noted three initiatives currently underway within ICES and other scientific institutions, the purpose of which is to better understand the spatial structure and dynamics of the stock. First, the ‘Tiger Team’, established by ICES to address immediate concerns with the understanding of stock dynamics; second, the joint request on the genetics of Northern Shelf cod sub-stocks (Annex VII); third, the GenDC project which will inform that joint request. They agreed that they would invite ICES representatives to the intersessional in 2026 to review the latest findings from these initiatives.

15.15 The Delegations agreed that they would review the outputs of these initiatives as part of the process of developing a joint request to ICES for a proposal for a Long-Term Management Strategy for cod. They further agreed that they would prioritise, in 2026, the development of such a proposal as part of the approach to be agreed with ICES for developing Long-Term Management Strategies set out in paragraph 14.

15.16 The Delegations agreed with respect to their work on monitoring, control and surveillance (MCS) on the importance of continuing to promote a culture of compliance within their respective fisheries, and that work on MCS includes a particular focus on cod-related fisheries, aligned with the work of the Cod Management Working Group. 

15.17 The Norwegian Delegation informed the EU and UK Delegations that three areas had been closed in the southeastern part of the Norwegian Economic Zone (NEZ) from 1 July to 31 December 2025 to protect juveniles and small cod. The Norwegian Institute of Marine Research evaluated the effect of the closed nursery areas in 2025. The evaluation indicates that the areas have a high density of juvenile fish and is a potential important nursery area. The areas can be sees as suitable for protective measures for juvenile cod. The intention is to continue the closures in 2026. In addition to the closure of nursery areas, the Norwegian Delegation informed that Real Time Closures can be triggered in the demersal trawl and Danish seine fishery in the NEZ, if the intermixture of juvenile cod, saithe, haddock, and whiting exceeds a certain limit. Additionally, the Norwegian Coast Guard operates so-called Precautionary areas to reduce catches of undersized fish. They also explained that if the intermixture of juveniles (including cod) is above the legal limit, vessels are obliged to change fishing ground. These measures are supported by the presence of the Norwegian Coast Guard in the North Sea.  

15.18 The UK informed the EU and Norwegian Delegations that they have implemented offshore Marine Protected Areas in UK waters of Subarea 4 and Division 6.a, and that fisheries management measures for offshore MPAs in Scottish waters came into force in October 2025. These measures are expected to afford additional protections to fish stocks, including Northern Shelf cod.

15.19 The UK Delegation also informed the EU and Norwegian Delegations that, on 20 November 2025, a public consultation was commenced on the development of a Fisheries Management Plan (FMP) for Northern Shelf cod, the intention of which is to supersede the current NCAP.  The plan sets out actions intended to support the delivery of sustainable fisheries management within UK waters, including a review of existing technical measures, these are intended to be complimentary to the ongoing work of the three Parties in this trilateral forum. The consultation process will run until 11 March 2026, and the UK encouraged the EU and Norway to participate in that process. The UK committed to updating the EU and Norwegian Delegations on progress with the FMP at the 2026 intersessional meeting.

15.20 The EU Delegation informed the UK and Norwegian Delegations that, it intends to continue in 2026 the cod avoidance measures introduced in 2020 and 2021, which may be revised in light of the outcomes of the Cod Management Working Group’s work and any further agreement among the parties. These measures include specific selectivity measures, area closures for protection of spawning aggregations of cod as well as the possibility for member states to introduce National Cod Avoidance Plans. In addition, the EU explained that specific actions on control have been undertaken since 2020 including additional efforts on last haul evaluations and the triggering of real time closures and the procedures for the monitoring of these closures.  The EU informed the delegations of the implementation of sampling procedures and the sampling results to establish real time closures, in particular with regards to cod.

15.21 Noting the measures set out above which aim to bring about sustainable management of the stock, and following considerations of the scenarios provided by ICES for each sub-stock, the Delegations agreed to set a TAC for the whole Northern Shelf cod stock of 14,034 tonnes. This figure reflects the headline advice for the Southern sub-stock, and the ICES FMSY scenarios for the Northwestern and Viking sub-stocks. This means that the TAC for Division 6.a should be 625 tonnes, the TAC for Subarea 4 11,164 tonnes, the TAC for Skagerrak (Subdivision 20) 1,596 tonnes, and the TAC for Division 7.d, 650 tonnes.