Iceland’s Mackerel Share Recognised For First Time

On December 16, representatives from Iceland, Norway, the UK, and Faroe Islands signed an agreement on the division and control of the North Atlantic mackerel stock. Iceland’s share is 12.5 percent of the total catch limit, reads a press announcement from the foreign ministry.

Greenland and the European Union are also active mackerel fishers but were not a party to the agreement. According to the new covenant, the signatories agree to devise a universal accord for all coastal states.

The agreement allows states to fish in each other’s territorial waters. Since mackerel fishing began in Icelandic waters in 2007, Iceland has not been privy to a similar agreement.

As reported by RÚV in August, 2024, Iceland’s mackerel catch had never measured lower since 2007, with the majority of the stock inhabiting the Norwegian Sea.