North Sea cod quota cut by 44% for 2026

The North Sea cod quota will be cut by 44% in 2026 following talks between the UK, EU and Norway.

The three parties have agreed to a total quota of 14,034 tonnes, a 44% reduction compared to 2025. Haddock quotas have also been reduced by 3.7%.

The cut to cod is significant but not as severe as feared after the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) suggested no catch at all in 2026. The council warned that the southern substock is so depleted that any catch would push it below critical biomass limits, a recommendation met with strong opposition from Scottish fishing groups.

For fish and chip shops buying fresh fish, the quota cuts are expected to lead to price increases in the short term although they are likely to stabilise once quotas rise again. Will Crook, director at Whitby-based fish merchant Dennis Crooks, commented: “In the fish industry we have good years and bad years. We can’t always expect everything to go our way. I expect prices will be squeezed on cod especially. The supply will be there if the customer is willing to pay. It’s nothing new, the same has been happening for as long as I can remember.”

Elspeth Macdonald, chief executive of the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation, said that while the outcome of the talks on quotas will make for a difficult 2026 for the fleet, it could have been significantly worse.

She added: “Thanks to the work done by the Scottish and UK government negotiators, the outcome on cod, while a significant reduction from this year’s TAC that will inevitably have an impact on the sector, is less damaging than anticipated, with a balance struck between the need to allow the stock to recover, particularly in the southern North Sea, and the sustainability of the fleet.”

Other species also seeing quota cuts in 2026 are North Sea saithe, down 25%, and North Sea herring, down 20%.