DATES: April 2021 – October 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.
Originally due to end in April 2026, the mackerel and herring FIP has been realigned to match the planned end of the blue whiting FIP. Between April and October 2026, NAPA will transition away from our FIPs, using the final 6 months to keep pushing for better management while developing a new model that can address the climate and governance challenges these fisheries face. Both FIPs will now formally end in early October.
Similar to our separate NEA Blue Whiting FIP, we have been 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.
