ICES Cuts Advice For Icelandic Summer-Spawning Herring Fishery - The Fishing Daily - EUROPE SAYS
Lower Catch Recommended For 2026The International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) has recommended a catch limit of no more than 80,307 tonnes for Icelandic summer-spawning herring in 2026, a. . .
Lower Catch Recommended For 2026The International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) has recommended a catch limit of no more than 80,307 tonnes for Icelandic summer-spawning herring in 2026, a reduction of 23 per cent compared with the 103,367 tonnes advised for the previous year. The advice, published on 12 June, applies to herring in Division 5. a on Icelandic grounds and is based on Iceland’s harvest control rule, which ICES considers precautionary and consistent with maximum sustainable yield principles. ICES said the reduction was driven by weaker year classes entering the fishery and a downward revision in biomass estimates. Stock Remains Above Biological Reference PointsDespite the lower catch recommendation, ICES reported that spawning stock biomass remains above management trigger levels and precautionary reference points. Fishing pressure is above the management target but remains below precautionary and maximum sustainable yield thresholds. ICES estimated spawning stock biomass at 409,080 tonnes in 2026 and projected it to increase to 423,579 tonnes in 2027 under the recommended catch scenario. The recommended catch is based on a harvest rate of 0. 19 applied to the biomass of herring aged four years and older. The management plan sets a biomass trigger of 273,000 tonnes and a target harvest rate of 0. 19. ICES evaluated the plan in 2024 and concluded that it conforms to its maximum sustainable yield approach.