European Commission proposes major cuts to fishing quotas for 2026

The European Commission has adopted its proposal for the 2026 fishing opportunities in the Baltic Sea, recommending significant decreases for several key commercial stocks due to what scientific advice indicates is a "dire situation" for a number of fisheries. The proposal is based on scientific assessment from the International Council on the Exploration of the Seas (ICES).

The commission proposes to decrease fishing of Bothnian herring by 62 per cent, herring in the Gulf of Riga by seventeen per cent, main basin salmon by 27 per cent, and plaice by three per cent. It also proposes setting catch limits for unavoidable by-catches only for western Baltic cod, eastern Baltic cod, and western Baltic herring, with proposed reductions of 84 per cent, 63 per cent, and 50 per cent, respectively.

The stocks for both eastern and western Baltic cod remain in poor condition, as does the stock for western Baltic herring, prompting the recommendation for by-catch only fisheries with all accompanying conservation measures remaining in place.

In contrast, the commission proposes to increase the fishing opportunities for salmon in the Gulf of Finland by one per cent and to maintain the current catch levels for central Baltic herring and sprat. For central Baltic herring and sprat, the commission is taking a cautious approach, as forecasts for these stocks are more uncertain than usual despite some positive signs.

EU member countries will take a final decision on the quotas at a Council meeting on October 27-28, 2025.