DATES: April 2021 – April 2026
AREA: Northeast Atlantic and adjacent waters
STOCK: North East Atlantic mackerel and Atlanto-Scandian herring
GEAR TYPE: Pelagic trawl & purse seine
We developed our North East Atlantic Mackerel and Atlanto-Scandian Herring Fishery Improvement Project to ensure these fisheries are well managed, sustainable, and capable of securing Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) recertification, a key requirement of the marketplace. Mackerel and herring are prized for human consumption and face many of the same issues, so our FIP aims to tackle both together.
Similar to our separate NEA Blue Whiting FIP, we are working towards 3 key outcomes:
1. Long-term, comprehensive, and equitable catch sharing agreements that ensure total catches remain within scientifically advised limits.
2. A long-term, science-based management plan that can respond to changes in the stock, so that fishing pressure is reduced when populations are low.
3. Dispute resolution mechanisms that prevent future disagreements from hindering management, avoiding a return to the current political impasse.
The more businesses that add their voice to NAPA’s calls, the greater our chance of influencing the Coastal States to come together urgently and reach an agreement.