Set sustainable, ecosystem-based fishing limits for 2026

A coalition of NGOs calls on the UK Minister for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to adopt a precautionary approach to 2026 fishing limit negotiations with the EU. The letter argues that current scientific advice is insufficient for ecosystem recovery and that the UK is failing to meet Good Environmental Status (GES) targets, with 13 out of 15 indicators not met in 2025. The authors recommend setting catch limits well below ICES single-stock advice, respecting a 5% risk limit for stock decline, and increasing transparency in negotiations.

• The UK is currently failing to meet its legal requirements for ocean health, with a 2025 Marine Strategy assessment showing failure on 13 out of 15 Good Environmental Status (GES) indicators.
• Current fishing limits in the Northeast Atlantic are often unsustainable; 21% of fully assessed stocks remain overfished, and less than half of the 2025 catch limits involving the UK followed scientific advice.
• The authors argue that the scientific advice provided by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) is not fit for purpose because it does not fully account for ecosystem integrity, dynamics, or rapid recovery.
• The letter recommends that the UK set catch limits well below ICES single-stock advice, particularly for forage fish and abundant stocks in mixed fisheries, to protect vulnerable species and ecosystem functioning.
• The UK is urged to adhere to legally binding safeguards in EU Multi-Annual Plans, specifically maintaining a risk limit of less than 5% for stocks falling below levels where reproductive capacity is reduced.

APA

ClientEarth (2025). Set sustainable, ecosystem-based fishing limits for 2026. https://www.clientearth.org/media/irjhblt1/ngo-letter-to-uk-on-fos-for-2026.pdf

Chicago

ClientEarth. Set sustainable, ecosystem-based fishing limits for 2026. 2025. https://www.clientearth.org/media/irjhblt1/ngo-letter-to-uk-on-fos-for-2026.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=ClientEarth |title=Set sustainable, ecosystem-based fishing limits for 2026 |date=28 August 2025 |url=https://www.clientearth.org/media/irjhblt1/ngo-letter-to-uk-on-fos-for-2026.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{clientearth2025set, author = {{ClientEarth}}, title = {{Set sustainable, ecosystem-based fishing limits for 2026}}, publisher = {ClientEarth}, year = {2025}, month = aug, url = {https://www.clientearth.org/media/irjhblt1/ngo-letter-to-uk-on-fos-for-2026.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }