While the coastal states have for a number of years agreed on TACs for pelagic stocks on the North-East Atlantic, they have repeatedly failed to reach agreement on how these TACs should be divided.
Norway claims that next year it is contributing to reducing fishing effort by claiming only a 64.18% share of the Atlanto-Scandian herring TAC for 2025, awarding itself a 257,871-tonne share of the fishery under an agreement struck with the Faroe Islands, which claims a 10% share.
According to the Norwegian authorities, Norway has reduced its share of the fishery from 76% to 64% over two years, while the Faroese stake in Atlanto-Scandian herring has drops from a 22% share to 10%.
‘I hope this can inspire the other parties, so that in the long term we can reach a comprehensive agreement that includes all coastal states and active fishing parties,’ said Norway’s Minister of Fisheries and Oceans Marianne Sivertsen Næss.
Norway and the Faroes have also reach an agreement that allows Faroese vessels access to Atlanto-Scandian herring in Norwegian waters, while the Norwegian fleet gets access to Faroese waters to fish for blue whiting.
