Management of shared fish stocks: coastal state agreed records 2027

Blue whiting

Agreed record of conclusions of fisheries consultations between Norway, the European Union, the Faroe Islands, Iceland and the United Kingdom on the management of blue whiting in the north-east atlantic in 2027.

London, 13 and 14 October 2026

1. A delegation from Norway headed by Elisabeth Sørdahl, a delegation from the European Union headed by Pawel Swiderek, a delegation from the Faroe Islands headed by Ingibjørg Tummassardóttir Petersen, a delegation from Iceland headed by Guðmundur Þórðarson, and a delegation from the United Kingdom headed by James Sharples, met at NEAFC in London on 13 and 14 October 2026 to consult on the management of the blue whiting stock in the North-East Atlantic in 2027.
2. A delegation from Greenland headed by Iben Funch Døj also attended the meeting.
3. The delegations noted that the agreed long-term management strategy dated 27 October 2016, is regarded by ICES as consistent with the precautionary approach under the assumption that the catch advice is adhered to (Annex 1). The delegations also noted that the long-term strategy for blue whiting should have been reviewed after five years. The delegations agreed that this review needs to be coordinated with plans for benchmarking in ICES in 2027, and the Parties will return to the issue once the benchmarking is completed for blue whiting.
4. The delegations agreed that the level of total catches for blue whiting in the North-East Atlantic for 2027 should be no more than 1 064 191 tonnes as advised by ICES. The delegations also agreed that the establishing of unilateral quotas for 2027 does not in any way imply the acceptance of the level of these quotas by any Party.
5. The delegations agreed that Parties will reconvene to address the issue of a sharing arrangement as soon as possible. All delegations stressed the importance of maintaining the focus on concluding a comprehensive sharing arrangement as soon as possible. 
6. The delegations encouraged the Parties to develop and coordinate their scientific research activities in order to improve the information available for the assessment and the management of this stock.
7. The delegations noted the outcomes of the Report of the 2026 Coastal State Working Group on the distribution of blue whiting in the Northeast Atlantic. For 2027, Norway as the current Chair and the Faroe Islands as the incoming Chair, will work with Parties with an aim of updating the report.
8. The delegations encouraged the Parties to strengthen monitoring, control and surveillance (MCS) at sea and in port, and to continue the cooperation to further strengthen MCS.
9. The delegations exchanged final quota and catch information 2025 as well as preliminary information for 2026 (Annex 2). The delegations exchanged information with regards to their fishing activities, including exchanges and access arrangements (Annex 3).
10. The delegations agreed to continue to provide information in the same format as set out in Annex 2 and Annex 3 to this Agreed Record. Each delegation shall, by 1 May 2027, provide updated information in this regard to the chair of the consultations from April 2027 to March 2028, the Faroe Islands, who shall forward this information within 10 working days to all Parties to this Agreed Record.
11. The delegations agreed that the Parties may fish blue whiting within their quotas in their respective zones of fisheries jurisdiction and in international waters.
12. The delegations agreed that further arrangements by the Parties, including arrangements for access, quota transfers and other conditions for fishing in their respective zones of fisheries jurisdiction, are regulated by bilateral agreements.

Elisabeth Sørdahl
For the Delegation of Norway

Pawel Swiderek
For the Delegation of the European Union 

Ingibjørg Tummassardóttir Petersen
For the Delegation of the Faroe Islands

Guðmundur Þórðarson
For the Delegation of Iceland

James Sharples
For the Delegation of the United Kingdom

Annex 1

Arrangement for the long-term management of the blue whiting stock

1. The Parties agree to implement a long-term management strategy for the fisheries on the Blue Whiting stock, which is consistent with the precautionary approach and the MSY approach, aiming at ensuring harvest rates within safe biological limits. 

2. For the purpose of this long-term management strategy, in the following text, “TAC” means the sum of the agreed Coastal State quotas and the NEAFC allowable catches. 

3. As a priority, the long-term strategy shall ensure with high probability that the size of the stock is maintained above Blim. 
4. In the case that the spawning biomass is forecast to be above or equal to Btrigger (=Bpa) on 1 January of the year for which the TAC is to be set, the TAC shall be fixed to a fishing mortality of FMSY. 
5. Where the rules in paragraph 4 would lead to a TAC, which deviates by more than 20% below or 25% above the TAC of the preceding year, the Parties shall fix a TAC that is respectively no more than 20% less or 25% more than the TAC of the preceding year. 
6. The TAC constraint described in paragraph 5 shall not apply if: 
   a. The spawning biomass at 1 January in the year preceding the year for which the TAC is to be set is less than Btrigger; or
   b. The rules in paragraph 4 would lead to a TAC that deviates by more than 40% from the TAC of the preceding year. 
7. In the case that the spawning biomass (SSB) is forecast to be less than the precautionary biomass (Btrigger) on 1 January of the year for which the TAC is to be set, the TAC shall be fixed at a level that is consistent with a fishing mortality given by:
   Target F = 0.05 + [(SSB - Blim)*(FMSY - 0.05) / (Btrigger - Blim)] 
8. In the case that the spawning biomass is forecast to be less than Blim on 1 January of the year for which the TAC is to be set, the TAC will be fixed corresponding to a fishing mortality F = 0.05. 
9. Each Party may transfer to the following year unutilised quantities of up to 10% of the quota allocated to it. The quantity transferred shall be in addition to the quota allocated to the Party concerned in the following year. 
10. Each Party may authorise fishing by its vessels of up to 10% beyond the quota allocated. All quantities fished beyond the allocated quota for one year shall be deducted from the Party’s quota allocated for the following year. 
11. The inter-annual quota flexibility scheme in paragraph 9 and 10 should be suspended in the year following the TAC year, if the stock is forecast to be under Btrigger at the end of the TAC year. 

The Parties, on the basis of ICES advice, shall review this long-term management strategy at intervals not exceeding five years. The first such review shall take place no later than by December 2021.

Annex 2

Reporting of quotas and catches of blue whiting in the North-East Atlantic – 2025 to 2026

This annex includes a table showing quotas and catches of blue whiting in the North-East Atlantic from 2025 to 2026. The table can be viewed in the attached PDF.

Annex 3

Transfer and access arrangements for blue whiting in the North-East Atlantic in 2026

This annex includes tables showing transfers and access arrangements for blue whiting in 2026. The table can be viewed in the attached PDF.