Advice and Recommendations

The Pelagic Advisory Council (PelAC) urges the EU to take decisive action in Northeast Atlantic mackerel negotiations, warning that the current deadlock and unilateral overfishing by non-EU Coastal States threaten both stock sustainability and the EU’s fair share. PelAC calls for a return to a comprehensive sharing agreement, full EU engagement in multilateral talks, and robust support for affected EU fleets to mitigate economic uncertainty. The letter underscores the need for a strong, unified EU negotiating position to restore balance and protect the long-term viability of the fishery and dependent coastal communities.

This joint advice from PelAC and NWWAC outlines key recommendations to strengthen the internal functioning of EU Advisory Councils, focusing on clarifying roles, fostering respectful collaboration, and addressing issues such as power imbalances, inappropriate behavior, and administrative burdens. It proposes a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to standardize expectations, introduce performance reviews, and establish mechanisms for conflict resolution and capacity building. The aim is to enhance transparency, accountability, and democratic leadership across all ACs, ensuring a safer and more effective working environment for all stakeholders.

The Pelagic Advisory Council (PelAC) prepared a statement for the meeting between ICES and Requesters of ICES advice (MIRIA) 2026. In the statement the PelAC welcomes ICES’s 2025 scientific advancements but raises concerns over transparency and process in the 2026 mackerel catch advice, where conflicting recruitment assumptions between expert groups led to a significant reduction in recommended catches. PelAC outlines 2026 priorities, including developing Long-Term Management Strategies for key stocks, addressing herring mixing issues, and advocating for greater stakeholder inclusion in the ICES-Commission Framework Partnership Agreement. The PelAC also calls for proactive implementation of research plans, especially for horse mackerel, and urges the application of ecosystem-based approaches in fisheries management.

The joint Advisory Councils (ACs) expressed concern to the European Commission about the lack of meaningful stakeholder consultation during the development of the revised “Control Regulation” (EU 2023/2842). They highlighted that the summer recess and short consultation periods limited their ability to provide input on key Delegated and Implementing Acts. The ACs noted that their feedback, including a joint advice submitted in May 2025, was not reflected in the final regulations. They called for improved consultation processes, emphasizing the need for regional workshops and a bottom-up approach to ensure practical and effective implementation. The letter underscores the importance of stakeholder engagement for workable and proportionate fisheries control measures.

The PelAC, NSAC, NWWAC and SWWAC invite the relevant Member States Group (Scheveningen Group, North Western Waters Member State Group, South Western Waters Member State Group) to a joint workshop to discuss the implementation of the revised EU Control Regulation, which entered into force in January 2024. The workshop aims to bridge the gap between control experts and Advisory Councils, fostering input on the regulation’s practical application.

The Pelagic Advisory Council (PelAC) submitted its 2026 fishing opportunities recommendations to the EU Commission, emphasizing the need for sustainable, science-based management of pelagic stocks like mackerel, blue whiting, and herring. It highlights critical concerns over unilateral quota-setting by non-EU coastal states (Norway, Faroe Islands, Iceland, Russia), which has led to overfishing and jeopardized stock sustainability. PelAC calls for urgent long-term sharing agreements, ecosystem-based management, and socioeconomic impact assessments to address the severe economic and social repercussions on EU fleets and coastal communities. The letter also stresses the importance of up-to-date data, improved stock assessments, and integrating climate change impacts into management strategies. PelAC recommends following ICES advice, revising long-term management plans, and using trade measures to deter unsustainable practices.

The letter presents a set of recommendations to strengthen the role and effectiveness of the EU Advisory Councils (ACs) in fisheries and aquaculture policy-making. It calls for more diverse and geographically balanced representation within the ACs, ensuring all stakeholder groups and regions are adequately included, especially those currently underrepresented. To enhance their influence, it emphasizes the need for greater transparency from the European Commission and Member States in how AC advice is used, as well as improved mechanisms for tracking and reporting on the uptake of recommendations. The ACs should strive for consensus in their advice while clearly documenting dissenting views, and their involvement in scientific and international policy processes should be expanded to increase relevance and credibility. Finally, it advocates for better communication strategies to raise public awareness of the ACs’ work and broader engagement with institutions like the European Parliament and international bodies to amplify their impact.

The Pelagic Advisory Council’s advice on herring stocks highlights the need to follow ICES MSY advice for setting Total Allowable Catches (TACs) in 2026, with specific recommendations for various herring stocks including 6a North Autumn spawning herring, 6a South 7bc herring, Irish Sea herring, Celtic Sea herring, and North Sea Autumn Spawning herring. The document emphasizes the importance of addressing data inconsistencies, improving stock assessments, and conducting further research to understand stock dynamics and productivity issues, while also advocating for better management measures and the development of long-term management strategies to ensure sustainable fisheries.

The Pelagic Advisory Council’s advice on the benchmark report for Northeast Atlantic mackerel highlights significant updates to the stock assessment model, including changes in reference points and a confirmed decreasing trend in spawning stock biomass since 2014. The document emphasizes the urgent need for Coastal States to agree on a long-term sharing arrangement to safeguard the stock and calls for the development of a Management Strategy Evaluation (MSE) that includes ecosystem considerations, a rebuilding plan, and an analysis of implementation errors to ensure sustainable management of the mackerel stock.

The Pelagic Advisory Council’s response to the draft report on the cumulative impacts of offshore wind farm expansions underscores the necessity for a comprehensive, long-term approach to assessing and managing these impacts to achieve Good Environmental Status (GES) across European marine waters. The document emphasizes the importance of addressing significant knowledge gaps through improved monitoring, cross-disciplinary research, and adaptive policy frameworks, while also advocating for the inclusion of fisheries stakeholders in marine environmental management.