Coastal states set 2027 blue whiting and Norwegian spring-spawning herring totals at ICES advice

The Northeast Atlantic coastal states have agreed on 2027 total allowable catches for two big pelagic stocks. Norway’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries announced on Oct. 15 that the total for blue whiting is 1,064,191 tonnes and the total for Norwegian spring-spawning (Atlanto-Scandian) herring is 588,004 tonnes. Both numbers follow the scientific advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) and the management plan the coastal states agreed to. SeafoodSource reports the talks took place in London, and that the blue whiting figure is up from the 851,344 tonnes ICES advised for 2026.

The two stocks have different coastal-state groups. Blue whiting covers Norway, the EU, the U.K., the Faroe Islands and Iceland. Norwegian spring-spawning herring covers Norway, Russia, the U.K., the Faroe Islands and Iceland. Norwegian Fisheries and Oceans Minister Marianne Sivertsen Næss said agreeing on quotas in line with the plan and the advice is a good basis for sustainable management and for further work on sharing deals.

The countries still have not agreed how to divide the fish. The parties will keep working toward comprehensive sharing agreements. SeafoodSource quotes the meeting record: setting unilateral quotas for 2027 does not mean any party accepts those quota levels, and delegations will meet again on sharing as soon as possible. Norway says final quotas for Norwegian fishermen will be set once regulations are adopted and quota swap and catch figures are in.

Photo: Erling Kåre Stenevik / Norway Institute of Marine Research, via SeafoodSource.

This is a The Gillnet news desk summary, not a reprint.

Source: Norwegian Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries — Kyststatane einige om totalkvotar for kolmule og norsk vårgytande sild (press release in Norwegian, Oct. 15, 2026). Additional reporting: SeafoodSource — Coastal states agree to stick to ICES advice on blue whiting, herring but have yet to reach quota distribution agreement (Chris Chase, Oct. 19, 2026).