UK secures bilateral fisheries agreements for 2026
UK secures bilateral fisheries agreements for 2026
The UK government has finalised bilateral fisheries deals with Norway and the Faroe Islands that preserve 2025 access levels for key stocks in 2026, valued at roughly £8 million on historic UK landing prices. The agreements form part of a wider suite of arrangements that bring total UK fishing opportunities for 2026 to around £840 million, the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) said.
UK-Norway arrangements
The Norway agreement transfers quota equivalent to more than 1,000 tonnes of Arctic stocks and secures continuity of access for whitefish in Norwegian waters, enabling UK vessels to target up to 30,000 tonnes. It also includes an additional 657 tonnes of North Sea herring and establishes a longer-term herring understanding of up to 20,000 tonnes in each party’s waters, intended to stabilise supply for the UK fleet.
UK-Faroe Islands arrangements
Annual negotiations with the Faroe Islands yielded more than 2,000 tonnes of additional quota in valuable Faroese stocks, worth about £5 million by historic landing prices. The package maintains the same access arrangements as 2025 and provides quota across haddock, cod, saithe, blue ling, ling, redfish, flatfish and other species, offering continuity amid challenging scientific advice for some North Sea stocks.
Management, monitoring and next steps
Both agreements include commitments on monitoring, control and surveillance and are framed as measures to support sustainability and the long-term viability of stocks and coastal communities. Agreed Records for the bilateral deals are published on GOV.UK; the Secretary of State will set the formal fishing opportunities for British vessels for 2026 in due course. Defra has said the arrangements deliver tangible benefits for fishing communities and help the industry plan and invest ahead.