French industry organisations are raising the alarm as they face a reduction in the national mackerlel quota from around 10,000 tonnes to as little as 1600 tonnes in 2016.
‘Mackerel is becoming the symbol of a two-tiered fishing system,’ said CNPMEM president Olivier Le Nézet. ‘One for states that respect the rules, and another for those that plunder with impunity.’
This comes as The National Committee for Maritime Fisheries and Marine Aquaculture (CNPMEM), alongside France Filière Pêche, the Maritime Cooperation, the National Association of Producer Organizations, the Federation of Producer Organizations of Artisanal Fishing, the Union of French Fishing Vessel Owners, the Union of French Fishmongers, the Organization of French Fishmongers and Shellfish Vendors, as well as the Regional Committees for Maritime Fisheries and Marine Aquaculture of Hauts-de-France, Normandy, Brittany, Pays de la Loire and Nouvelle-Aquitaine all voice their concern over the critical situation of the mackerel stock and the urgent need for a firm response from the European Union.
The latest scientific advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) recommends a drastic 70% reduction in mackerel quotas for 2026, a direct consequence of years of overexploitation of the stock by non-EU coastal states.
CNPMEM states that coastal states such as Greenland, Iceland, and Russia have prevented annual negotiations among coastal states from reaching a balanced sharing agreement, while this situation worsened with Brexit in 2020.
Deliberately, all countries – except the EU – are setting fishing quota shares that massively exceed the exploitation levels recommended by scientists. According to ICES, since 2014, these overages have represented, on average each year, catches 40% higher than scientific recommendations, totaling over 2.8 million tonnes in ten years.
‘French mackerel represents sustainable, seasonal, and accessible fishing. If Europe doesn’t react, consumers will pay the price of unfair competition, with imported products that are less traceable and less ethically sourced,’ said Silvère Moreau, President of the French Fishmongers and Shellfish Vendors Association.
The French organisations are demanding that the European Union act without delay, and for the offending countries to be held accountable accountable by imposing real compensation for the overshoots acknowledged and recorded since 2020, notably through annual deductions from their future quotas until stocks are fully replenished.
They area also calling for any reduction in the allocation key for European quotas to be refused, until the irresponsible and repeated overshoots by all third countries have been rectified.
‘France cannot be both victim and scapegoat. The time for firm action has come,’ Olivier Le Nézet said.
