Scientists press UK on fishing quotas

Twenty-nine marine scientists have urged the UK Government to set fishing catch limits in line with scientific advice, warning that continued overfishing could damage fish populations, marine ecosystems and coastal economies.

The intervention comes as the UK negotiates with other coastal states over total allowable catches (TAC) for shared fish stocks. In an open letter to Environment Secretary Dame Angela Eagle, the scientists are calling for ministers to take a stronger position in the negotiations and push all participating countries to follow advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES).

“Following scientific advice on safe catch levels is the foundation of good fisheries management,” said Professor Callum Roberts, Professor of Marine Conservation at the University of Exeter, in the letter

“You can’t negotiate with nature on how many fish are produced. You have to work with nature’s limits.”

The scientists say more than a quarter of 105 fish stocks in UK waters are overfished. They also highlight that half of the 10 most commercially important stocks, including North Sea cod, North Sea herring, Northeast Atlantic mackerel and Southern North Sea edible crab, are overfished, overexploited or both.

The letter says that since the current TAC system was established in 2020, more than half of stocks have had catch limits set above scientific advice each year. The scientists warn that the UK has been among the countries contributing to these decisions.

They also point to the condition of Celtic Sea cod, whose population has fallen 99% in little more than a decade, and warn that declining fish stocks are particularly damaging to inshore and small-scale fishing communities.

ICES has recommended an 11% reduction in total Northeast Atlantic mackerel catches for 2026. The scientists note that mackerel limits have exceeded sustainable advice in 23 of the past 29 years.

The letter calls for catch limits to follow ICES advice, with additional buffers for critically depleted stocks and reduced use of bycatch quotas.

“The evidence is clear: fishing in line with the science works,” the scientists state, arguing that sustainable management can support healthy ecosystems, coastal livelihoods and long-term food security.