The Council of the European Union reached a political agreement on the fishing opportunities in the Baltic Sea for 2027, following the Commission proposal made in August this year.
The Council decided to set the total allowable catch (TAC) limits for the following stocks:
- The agreement allows increases in catches of sprat (+44%), central Baltic herring (+71%), Bothnian herring (+12%), Riga herring (+11%) and plaice (+2%), in line with the scientific advice.
- Catches of main basin salmon and Gulf of Finland salmon remain the same than for 2026. In the main basin, salmon catches are limited to by-catches, except during the summer in the coastal areas of the Åland Sea and the Gulf of Bothnia.
- For eastern cod and western cod, the Council has decided to set by-catch TACs only, so fishing will remain limited to accidental catches while targeting other species.
- Western Baltic herring will, in principle, also have a by-catch-only TAC, but the Council maintained an exception for small-scale coastal fishers.
The Council followed the Commission proposal on numerous elements. However, the Commission is concerned that the continued targeted commercial fisheries for western Baltic herring and recreational fisheries for main basin salmon are less likely to contribute to the recovery of these stocks. The Commission highlights that these decisions may not be in line with the applicable legal framework, including the Baltic multiannual plan. In addition, the Commission takes notes of the level of allowed by-catches set by the Council. Given the state of the stocks, the Commission recalls the importance of setting these TACs at a level strictly limited to prevent a choke situation and thus avoid any increase in fishing pressure.
Overall, the dire environmental state of the Baltic Sea leads to the pressing need to fully implement the EU legislation at all levels in an effective and systematic manner.
The Council will formally adopt the regulation in November. The new catch limits will apply from 1 January 2027.
Table: Overview of TAC changes 2026-2027
| COMMISSION proposal | COUNCILagreement | |||||
| NameLatin name | ICES FISHING ZONES | TACs 2026 | 2027 | 2027 | TACs 2027 | variation |
| in tonnes | in tonnes | variation | in tonnes | in % | ||
| Western herringClupeaharengus | Baltic Sea subdivisions 22-24 | 788 (by-catch only) | 437 (by-catch only) | -45% | 788 | 0% |
| Central herringClupeaharengus | Baltic Sea subdivisions 25-27,28.2, 29, 32 | 96 463 | 143 860 | +49% | 165 228 | +71% |
| Riga herringClupeaharengus | Baltic Sea subdivision 28.1 | 34 367 | 38 183 | +11% | 38 183 | +11% |
| Bothnian herringClupea harengus | Baltic Sea subdivisions 30-31 | 55 869 | 57 308 | +3% | 62 500 | +12% |
| Eastern codGadus morhua | Baltic Sea subdivisions 25-32 | 430 (by-catch only) | 211 (by-catch only) | -51% | 430 | 0% |
| Western codGadus morhua | Baltic Sea subdivisions 22-24 | 266 (by-catch only) | 31 (by-catch only) | -88% | 266 | 0% |
| PlaicePleuronectes platessa | Baltic Sea subdivisions 22-32 | 10 973 | 10 973 | 0% | 11 237 | +2% |
| Main basin salmonSalmo salar | Baltic Sea subdivisions 22-31 | 25 537specimens | 25 537 specimens (by-catch only) | 0% | 25 537specimens (by-catch only) | 0% |
| Gulf of Finland salmonSalmo salar | Baltic Sea subdivision 32 | 10 232specimens | 10 232specimens | 0% | 10 232specimens | 0% |
| SpratSprattus sprattus | Baltic Sea subdivisions 22-32 | 201 975 | 291 590 | +44% | 291 590 | +44% |
