Measures agreed by the North-East Atlantic Fisheries Commission to curb Russian mackerel fishing in international waters entered into force on Friday, following a proposal from the European Union.
Russia set its 2026 mackerel quota at 67,548 tonnes — 22.5% of the Total Allowable Catch, a limit for how much can be caught — which is nearly five times its 2004 quota, the European Commission said in a release on Friday.
Under the new rules, Russian mackerel catches in international waters are capped at 1,495 tonnes, and other NEAFC members are barred from supporting fishing beyond that level.
That includes a ban on vessels from other member countries transhipping — transferring fish between vessels at sea — or providing refuelling services to fishing boats carrying Russian mackerel catches above the 1,495-tonne limit.
The EU, the UK and Iceland are also applying the same restrictions in their own waters and ports, meaning fishing vessels carrying Russian mackerel above the agreed limit can be refused entry to ports in those jurisdictions, according to the update.
EU says it has already started enforcing the restrictions
The EU began applying the measures on 3 July 2026 and has denied port access this summer to vessels carrying Russian mackerel caught above the 1,495-tonne threshold.
NEAFC is the regional fisheries management organisation for the North-East Atlantic, responsible for managing fish stocks across international waters in the area.
Its contracting parties are the EU, Denmark (for the Faroe Islands and Greenland), Iceland, Norway, Russia and the UK.
