Faroese Minister proposes fishing quota for North Atlantic herring

The Faroese Minister of Fisheries is proposing a fishing quota for North Atlantic herring for this year. On Wednesday, he will consult with the foreign affairs committee regarding the herring quota.

According to a regulation issued just before Christmas last year, the quota for this year is temporarily set at 40,000 tons. Vessels flying the Faroese flag are allowed to catch 28,015 tons.

The North Atlantic herring stock has not been this low since 1988. This decline is reflected in the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) recommendations for the overall quota this year.

ICES advises a 24 percent reduction in the quota, bringing it down to 390,000 tons. If the Faroe Islands again sets a quota that reflects 22 percent of the overall quota, the Faroese share will decrease to 86,000 tons, which is 26,700 tons less than last year.

Fishery scientists believe there are two primary reasons for the significant decrease in the herring stock. The recruitment to the stock has not been favorable since 2016, and the coastal countries have set quotas that are much higher—up to 40 percent greater—than what ICES recommends.

Since 2013, there has been no agreement among the coastal states on how the North Atlantic herring should be allocated among the countries.