Northern Shelf Mackerel Fisheries Management Plan

Stock Assessment and MSY

Scientific evidence

The following evidence has been collated from the most recent Working Group on Widely Distributed Stocks (WGWIDE) ICES assessment working group report.

As set out in Section 3.2 of the JFS, the UK takes an evidence-based approach to fisheries management, making use of the best available scientific evidence. For the purpose of fishery management and TAC setting, this tends to focus on the use of advice produced by ICES, although other sources of information, including data from the fishing industry, may also be used.

ICES provides annual advice for NEA mackerel. Different models are used for assessment and advice, depending on availability and quality of data and uncertainty. The type of assessment is categorised from 1 (quantitative/analytical) to 6 (bycatch only data). The advice type is then given based on MSY principles, including data limited approaches (MSY proxy), and/or following a Precautionary Approach. NEA mackerel is a Category 1 stock which means that it is considered to have full age- and size-structured data on which to base an assessment, and that MSY reference points are available to provide a framework for management action.

Benchmark exercises are a tool used by ICES to peer-review and incorporate new science or evidence into the stock assessment process. They are part of the process which ensures that ICES advice is based on the best available scientific evidence. ICES completed an assessment benchmarking process for NEA mackerel in 2025, which led to an improved assessment and updated reference points.

Assessment of evidence

As set out above, NEA mackerel is a stock that has a high level of data available. On this basis, there is sufficient available scientific evidence for the relevant fisheries policy authorities to make annual MSY assessments of the NEA mackerel stock.

SSB is estimated to have increased consistently between 2003 and 2015, before declining again thereafter. Based on the latest assessment, SSB was below MSY B_trigger in 2024, and is forecasted to be below B_lim in 2025. Fishing pressure is above F_MSY and the stock is not currently being fished within MSY constraints. This is largely due to the lack of an agreed quota sharing arrangements across the relevant international coastal States.

There is not an agreed long-term management strategy (LTMS) for this fishery, and the ICES catch advice is currently based on the MSY approach.

Fisheries Management

Management strategy for North East Atlantic mackerel

In the JFS, the UK fisheries policy authorities lay out a shared ambition to deliver ‘world class, sustainable management of our sea fisheries and aquaculture across the UK, and to play our part in supporting delivery of this globally’. The JFS also states that ‘As part of being an independent coastal State, the fisheries policy authorities will work together to support a vibrant, profitable, and sustainable fishing and aquaculture sector supported by a healthy marine environment that is resilient to climate change’. These ambitions are managed in line with numerous domestic and international policy drivers, which oblige action to consider and mitigate for the wider adverse environmental impacts of fishing activity.

In UK waters fisheries are managed in line with UK fisheries legislation (such as the 2020 Act, UK and devolved administration secondary legislation) and licence conditions where appropriate. The management of the fishery in the UK is carried out within this overarching context.

NEA mackerel is managed jointly with other coastal States, with the Total Allowable Catch (TAC) agreed between the UK, EU, Norway, Faroe Islands, Iceland and Greenland. The approach to coastal States negotiations follows the principles for international negotiation stated in the JFS.

Once the coastal State negotiations conclude, the TAC is agreed and set out in an Agreed Record of the consultations. However, there is currently no comprehensive agreement between the coastal States on how this TAC should be divided amongst the Parties, therefore when shares are combined, these have totalled more than 100% in recent years. On 15 December 2025, the UK, Norway, Faroe Islands and Iceland entered into a four-party agreement^[7], which is aimed to reduce fishing pressure while wider coastal States sharing discussions continue. This is an important step towards a comprehensive sharing arrangement, which will secure the long-term sustainability of the fishery and is an action set out within this FMP. We will continue to promote a science- and evidence-based approach to managing this fishery, with geographical distribution as one of the key elements to finding agreement.

Following the conclusion of annual negotiations with other coastal States, the UK’s share of the TAC is determined as fishing opportunities for British vessels by the Secretary of State and published in a document under section 23 of the 2020 Act.^[8] Following this, the UK’s quota is apportioned between the four UK Fisheries Administrations in line with the UK Quota Management Rules.^[9] Each UK Fisheries Administration then allocates its share of apportioned quota to vessels/licences under their administration, in line with their quota management rules^[10] and Section 25 of the 2020 Act. Quotas are adaptable: for example, they may be transferred between the management groups which represent UK fishing vessels, or exchanged with the EU. In the absence of an international sharing arrangement, the UK quota is set in line with the four party agreement from 15 December 2025. As part of the December 2025 four party mackerel agreement, the Parties have submitted a request to ICES to evaluate an LTMS for the fishery.

Current technical measures

All fishing activity in UK waters is managed through a range of technical measures. These technical measures were historically laid out in the form of technical conservation regulations written into the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) legislation and through various EU delegated acts, which have now been retained into UK law following the UK’s exit from the European Union and are referred to as ‘assimilated law’. Following the UK’s exit from the EU, the UK Government and devolved governments have various powers available to them to introduce new technical measures, for example by using licence conditions, or through secondary legislation under the 2020 Act or other relevant UK laws.

Technical measures tend to apply to specific groupings of vessels, and as such can be very similar. This means that the technical measures in place to support sustainable exploitation of the mackerel stock, are likely to be similar to those in place to manage the other pelagic fisheries.

Fishing for mackerel is widely dispersed, both spatially and temporally: consequently, the regulatory landscape is complicated.

Current technical measures^[11] in place in UK waters to ensure sustainable exploitation of the mackerel stock include:

• Minimum Conservation References Sizes (MCRS) (which prevents targeting of undersized fish by ensuring that only fish above the MCRS can be sold for human consumption),
• Minimum mesh sizes and structure of fishing nets (which set a minimum standard intended to reduce catches of fish below the MCRS and generally make fishing operations more efficient and effective),
• Other domestic legislation stipulates that all catches of quota species, such as NEA mackerel, and includes all catches below MCRS must be landed and counted against quota unless exemptions apply.

Further detail regarding technical measures can be found on the UK Government’s Technical Conservation and Landing Obligation rules and regulations webpage^[12] .

Current monitoring and enforcement

Fisheries regulations serve a range of purposes, including the prevention of actions which adversely impact the sustainability of the marine environment. Fisheries policy authorities are focused on reducing the main risks for non-compliance with those regulations.

Fisheries enforcement authorities (the Marine Directorate of the Scottish Government, the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), the Welsh Government and the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) in this instance) carry out enforcement that is intelligence-led, risk-based or is required by the UK’s international obligations. Enforcement of the respective regulations (domestic and international) is in line with applicable guidelines for regulators. Across the UK there are a range of assets to support this, including compliance vessels, surveillance aircraft, and the UK Fisheries Monitoring Centre and Marine Enforcement officers conducting physical and office-based inspections throughout the chain of traceability.

Fishing vessels over 12 metres are required to have fully operational satellite Vessel Monitoring Systems (VMS), and electronic logbooks, enabling authorities to remotely monitor and control fishing activity and encourage higher compliance. Understanding and being able to monitor and control where fishing activity is taking place is an important part of fisheries management, particularly where area restrictions are in place. Accurate and robust locational data is also crucial for informing marine planning decisions.

In addition, from 7 March 2026, pelagic fishing vessels operating in Scottish waters, and Scottish pelagic vessels wherever they are fishing, must have REM equipment on board. This helps to deter and detect pelagic fishing vessels from engaging in any illegal fishing activity. It also helps deliver a greater confidence in the quality of scientific evidence on fish catches, which is important for stock assessment and advice on sustainable fishing levels.

UK fisheries authorities apply a fishing vessel licensing regime along with control measures throughout the whole chain of traceability from catching to sale. These measures include requirements to record catch details whilst at sea, the weight of catch landed, transport and takeover documents once landed and sales notes from registered buyers. This comprehensive data stream enables fisheries authorities to effectively monitor fishing activity and compliance with national and local regulations.

These measures are not specific to the NEA mackerel but apply across the wider pelagic fishing fleet. Compliance risks are factored into the overarching risk management approach taken by the fisheries enforcement authorities, and also as part of the international monitoring, control and surveillance group (MCS) for pelagic fish stocks in the North East Atlantic and will continue to be monitored on an ongoing basis. As a stock managed with other coastal States, it is important that this FMP reflects appropriate actions identified through the MCS group.