Coastal states have been criticised over failing to reach an agreement over northeast Atlantic mackerel during negotiations in Denmark last week.
The lack of development for a sharing agreement on the challenged fishery was called a “missed opportunity” by the European Commission.
The European Union, Faroe Islands, Greenland, Iceland, Norway and UK were all are involved in the talks, which had been designed to come up with a comprehensive sharing arrangement and ensure the sustainable management of the fishery.
The failed negotiations come as mackerel (particularly sourced from the northeast Atlantic) has been subject to renewed scrutiny, with major retailers reviewing their sourcing plans and Waitrose suspending it altogether. Additionally, the Marine Conservation Society’s Good Fish Guide found northeast Atlantic mackerel had been overfished by an average of 23% over the past four years in its latest report.
The Commission has since struck out at states involved in the talks who gave “assurances” that they “would show constructive flexibility”.
“The Commission expects all partners to take immediate and meaningful steps to support the rebuilding of the stock,” it said in a statement released on Monday. “Without such action, both the resource and the sector that depend on it remain at risk.”
The lack of action was also criticised by the North Atlantic Pelagic Advocacy Group, which said an agreement was not reached “based on disagreements over very small percentages of the quota”.
“We are now nearly three months into 2026 and still don’t have an agreed total agreeable catch for the mackerel stock, despite it being acknowledged by scientists and governments that mackerel is under significant pressure,” the organisation’s executive lead, Aoife Martin, said.
Coastal states have become increasingly focussed on preserving their individual shares of the catch, according to Martin, who said if each was “willing to move by just one or two percentage points, a comprehensive agreement would be within reach”.
“Protecting jobs and safeguarding the sustainability of these stocks should not be seen as competing agendas,” Martin urged. “A stable, science-aligned sharing agreement will allow both to be secured over the long term. Without that stability, the economic and environmental risks will only increase, impacting businesses, coastal communities and livelihoods.”
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Ian Gatt, chair of the Scottish Pelagic Sustainability Group, laid the failure to reach an agreement squarely at the EU’s feet, saying the organisation “failed to provide any hard figures on concessions or the kind of flexibility”.
He pointed to concessions made by the UK including in a reduction in its catch allocation and giving greater access to UK waters, which had “resulted in a considerable reduction in overall fishing pressure”. He has called on the EU and Greenland to “show similar flexibility”.
In December, the UK, Norway, Iceland, and Faroe Islands agreed to a quota cut of 48% on the level allowed in 2025, although this was well below the 70% advised by the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas.
Gatt added: “The UK pelagic industry is deeply committed to finding a resolution to the current impasse on quota shares and is currently working closely with government and scientists to ensure robust management and healthy fish stocks.”
Defra declined to provide a statement, but The Grocer was told the government was committed to securing a comprehensive quota‑sharing arrangement that ensured the long‑term sustainability.
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