On Monday 26 October in Luxembourg, EU Member States’ fisheries ministers reached an agreement on total allowable catches (TACs) and fishing quotas in the Baltic Sea for 2027. The agreement provides for higher quotas for sprat and several herring stocks, while cod catches remain limited to by-catches.
In 2027, fishing opportunities for sprat will increase by 44% to 291,590 tonnes, in line with scientific advice.
For central Baltic herring, catch limits will increase by 71% to 165,228 tonnes, an increase that remains below the level recommended by scientists. The European Commission, however, had proposed an increase of 49%. The three-month closure during the spawning season will remain in effect.
The Gulf of Riga herring quota will increase by 11% to 38,183 tonnes, reflecting the stock’s healthy condition. Limits on by-catches (fish caught unintentionally while fishing for other species) for Western Baltic herring remain at 788 tonnes, the 2026 level. The existing exemption for small-scale fisheries will also remain in place.
Catch limits for Bothnian herring will increase by 12% to 62,500 tonnes. The Commission had suggested an increase of 3%. Member States also approved the continuation of three-month fishing restrictions in shallow coastal waters during the species’ reproduction period.
Both Eastern and Western Baltic cod stocks remain in poor condition. To allow stocks to recover, the quotas will be limited to by-catches and be maintained at their 2026 levels of 430 and 266 tonnes, respectively. Recreational cod fishing will remain prohibited throughout the area. The Commission had proposed reducing catches by 51% and 88%, respectively.
For salmon, catch limits in the Gulf of Finland (10,232 fish) and by-catch limits in the main basin of the Baltic Sea (25,537 fish) will also remain the same as they were in 2026. The exemption for the summer coastal fishery in subdivisions 29 N, 30, and 31 will also remain in place. Recreational fishing will continue to be permitted for reared salmon only.
Plaice catch limits will increase by 3% to 11,237 tonnes.
Beyond the Baltic, Member States also agreed on an EU limit of 300 tonnes for Norway pout by-catches in the North Sea, a stock which is shared with the United Kingdom. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)