Management of shared fish stocks: coastal state agreed records 2025

Atlanto-Scandian herring

Agreed record of conclusions of fisheries consultations between Norway, the Faroe Islands, Iceland, the Russian Federation, and the United Kingdom on the management of Norwegian spring spawning (Atlanto-Scandian) herring in the north-east Atlantic in 2025. 

18 October 2024

1. A delegation from Norway, headed by Elisabeth Norgård Gabrielsen, a delegation from the Faroe Islands, headed by Herluf Sigvaldsson, a delegation from Iceland, headed by Guðmundur Þórðarson, a delegation from the Russian Federation, headed by Anna Shulaeva and a delegation from the United Kingdom, headed by Will Francis, met at NEAFC in London on 17.-18 October to consult on the management of the Norwegian Spring Spawning (Atlanto-Scandian) Herring stock in the North-East Atlantic in 2025.

2. A delegation from the European Union, headed by Adela REY and a delegation from Greenland, headed by Iben FUNCH DØJ attended the meeting as observers.

3. The delegations noted that the agreed long-term management strategy for Norwegian Spring Spawning (Atlanto-Scandian) herring dated 6 November 2018, is regarded by ICES as consistent with the precautionary approach (Annex 1 - Long-term management strategy For the Norwegian spring spawning (Atlanto-Scandian) herring stock). The delegations agreed to send a request to ICES by the end of 2024 to evaluate the harvest control rules.

4. In accordance with the ICES advice, the delegations agreed that the level of catches of Norwegian Spring-Spawning (Atlanto-Scandian) herring in North-East Atlantic for 2025 should be no more than 401.794 tonnes. The delegations also agreed that the establishing of unilateral quotas for 2025 does not in any way imply the acceptance of the level of these quotas by any Party.

5. All Parties expressed a genuine willingness to continue addressing the issue of a new quota sharing arrangement and underlined the need to reach such new arrangement in order to achieve comprehensive, sustainable management of the stock.

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 welcomed the outcomes of the Report of the 2024 Coastal States Working Group on the distribution of Norwegian Spring-Spawning Herring in the North-East Atlantic and the Barents Sea and agreed to update this report in 2025.

8. The delegations exchanged final quota and catch information for 2022 and 2023 as well as preliminary information for 2024 (Annex 2- Reporting of quotas and catches of Norwegian Spring-Spawning herring in the North-East Atlantic 2022 to 2024). The delegations also exchanged information with regard to their fishing activities, including exchanges and access arrangements (Annex 3- Transfers and access arrangements in 2024).

9. 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 Party shall, by 1 May 2025, provide updated information in this regard to the chair of the consultations from April 2025 to March 2026, the Faroes, who shall forward this information within 10 working days to all Parties to this Agreed Record.

10. The delegations agreed that the Parties may fish Norwegian Spring-Spawning (AtlantoScandian) herring within their quotas in their respective zones of fisheries jurisdiction and in international waters.

11. 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 Norgård Gabrielsen                              
For the Delegation of Norway                               

Herluf Sigvaldsson
For the Delegation of the Faroe Islands

Guðmundur Þórðarson                                       
For the Delegation of Iceland

Anna Shulaeva
For the Delegation of the Russian Federation

Will Francis
For the Delegation of the United Kingdom

Annex 1

Long-term management strategy For the Norwegian spring spawning (Atlanto-Scandian) herring stock

1. The Parties agree to implement a long-term management strategy for the fisheries on the Norwegian Spring Spawning (Atlanto-Scandian) Herring 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 total allowable catch as agreed by Coastal States.

3. As a priority, the long-term management 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 Fmgt=0.14.

5. Where the rules in paragraph 4 would lead to a TAC, that 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. The TAC constraint shall not apply if the spawning biomass at 1 January in the year for which the TAC is to be set is less than Btrigger.

6. In the case that the spawning biomass (SSB) is forecast to be less than the precautionary biomass (Btrigger) but above or equal to Blim on 1 January of the year for which the TAC isto be set, the TAC shall be fixed at a level that is consistent with a fishing mortality given by:

Target F = 0.05 +[(SSB-B1im)*(Fmgt -0.05) I(Btrigger -Blim)]

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. Each Party may authorise fishing by its vessels of up to 10% beyond the quota allocated. However, this shall not apply if the stock is forecast to be under Btrigger at the end of the TAC year. All quantities fished beyond the allocated quota for one year shall be deducted from the Party's quota allocated for the following year.

10. 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 2023, in time for ICES to issue advice for 2024.

Annex 2

Reporting of quotas and catches of Norwegian Spring-Spawning herring in the North-East Atlantic 2022 to 2024

This annex includes a table showing quotas and catches of Norwegian spring-spawning (Atlanto-Scandian) herring in in the north-east Atlantic from 2022 to 2024. The table can be viewed in the attached PDF.

Annex 3

Transfers and access arrangements in 2024

This annex includes tables showing transfers and access arrangements for Norwegian spring-spawning (Atlanto-Scandian) herring in 2024. The table can be viewed in the attached PDF.