Baltics

Agreement reached on 2026 fishing opportunities for the Baltic Sea

Published

7 months ago

October 30, 2025

The Council of the European Union reached a political agreement on the fishing opportunities in the Baltic Sea for 2026, following the Commission proposal made in August this year.

For eastern cod and western cod, the Council has decided to set by-catch total allowable catch (TACs) only, so fishing will remain limited to accidental catches while targeting other species.
Western Baltic herring will, in principle, also have a bycatch-only TAC, but the Council maintained an exception for small-scale coastal fishers.
Catches of salmon in the main basin are also limited to by-catches, except during the summer in the coastal areas of the Aland Sea and the Gulf of Bothnia.
The agreement allows increases in catches of sprat (+45%), central Baltic herring (+15%) and Gulf of Finland salmon (+1%).
On the other hand, main basin salmon (-27%), Riga herring (-17%) and plaice (-3%) decrease, and for Bothnian herring the Council set a prudent provisional TAC until the end of October 2026.

The Council followed the Commission’s proposal on some elements. However, the Commission is concerned that some elements of the agreement are less likely to contribute to the rebuilding of the fisheries that rely on the recovery of certain stocks for their economic activities than the Commission proposal. This is the case for the total allowable catches (TACs) for Bothnian herring and central herring, as well as continued targeted commercial fisheries for western Baltic herring and recreational fisheries for main basin salmon.

Overall, the dire environmental state of the Baltic Sea leads to the pressing need to fully implement the EU legislation at all levels in an effective manner and to allow a rebuilding trajectory. The commitment by the Commission and the Baltic Member States to ask for a specific scientific advice on rebuilding trajectories will start a systematic approach in this direction.

More information

Council agreement on 2026 catch limits in the Baltic Sea

Commission proposal for the fishing opportunities for 2026 in the Baltic Sea

Total allowable catches and quotas

Overview of TAC changes 2025-2026

			COMMISSION proposal		COUNCILagreement
NameLatin name	ICES FISHING ZONES	TACs 2025	2026	2026	TACs 2026	variation
		in tonnes	in tonnes	variation	in tonnes	in %
Bothnian herringClupeaharengus	Baltic Sea subdivisions 30-31	66,446	25,560	-62%	39,108*	-41%
Western herringClupeaharengus	Baltic Sea subdivisions 22-24	788 (by-catch only)	394 (by-catch only)	-50%	788 (by-catch only)	0%
CentralherringClupeaharengus	Baltic Sea subdivisions 25-27,28.2, 29, 32	83,881	83,881	0%	96,463	+15%
Riga herringClupeaharengus	Baltic Sea subdivision 28.1	41,635	34,367	-17%	34,367	-17%
Eastern codGadus morhua	Baltic Sea subdivisions 25-32	430 (by-catch only)	159 (by-catch only)	-63%	430 (by-catch only)	0%
Western codGadus morhua	Baltic Sea subdivisions 22-24	266 (by-catch only)	42 (by-catch only)	-84%	266 (by-catch only)	0%
PlaicePleuronectes platessa	Baltic Sea subdivisions 22-32	11,313	10,973	-3%	10,973	-3%
Main basin salmonSalmo salar	Baltic Sea subdivisions 22-31	34,787specimens	25,537 specimens (by-catch only)	-27%	25,537specimens (by-catch only)	-27%
Gulf of Finland salmonSalmo salar	Baltic Sea subdivision 32	8,117specimens	10,232specimens	+1%	10,232specimens	+1%
SpratSprattus sprattus	Baltic Sea subdivisions 22-32	139,500	139,500	0%	201,975	+45%