EFFOP CEO Calls for International Cooperation on North East Atlantic Pelagic Stocks

The latest coverage from AquaFeed highlights the growing pressure on key North East Atlantic pelagic stocks, including mackerel, Atlanto Scandian herring and blue whiting. Years of stalled quota sharing negotiations among Coastal States have resulted in total catches that repeatedly exceed scientific advice, putting long term stock health and supply chain stability at risk.

EFFOP’s CEO, Anne Mette Bæk, emphasises that the core challenge lies in the lack of coordinated and accountable decision making among the involved parties. As she states:

“Coastal States are setting quotas unilaterally, without an agreed mechanism to constrain the combined total catch. When national allocations are aggregated, overall fishing pressure frequently exceeds scientific advice. This growing divergence between advice and implementation undermines the effectiveness of shared stock management and erodes confidence among parties and their associated stakeholders,” Bæk said.

EFFOP welcomes increased attention on this issue and continues to stress the importance of long term, science based management systems that safeguard both sustainable fisheries and the industries dependent on them.

Read the full article here.