Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on December 13, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 20, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleEU ministers agreed on 2026 fishing quotas, avoiding tighter Mediterranean restrictions. Spain maintains its fishing days, balancing sustainability and stock protection.
BRUSSELS, Dec 13 - European Union fisheries ministers struck a deal on Saturday on 2026 fishing quotas, avoiding an earlier proposal to tighten restrictions in the Mediterranean.
Spain, which opposed a European Commission plan to cut trawler fishing days in the Mediterranean next year, welcomed the agreement.
"We have concluded two intense days of discussion in Brussels. We have achieved a good result," Spanish agriculture minister Luis Planas said on X.
Spain will be allowed 143 fishing days in 2026, broadly maintaining this year's allowance, instead of the planned cuts. Brussels had said its proposal aimed to bring fishing to sustainable levels over the longer term.
The deal also sets catch limits and fishing days for the Atlantic, North Sea, Mediterranean, Black Sea and other waters for 2026, with some rules extending to 2028.
Changes include a more than 50% increase next year in catch limits for Norway lobster in the Bay of Biscay, and reductions in common sole limits in the eastern and western Baltic to protect stocks.
Vessels can gain extra fishing days if they adopt more sustainable practices.
Denmark’s fisheries minister Jacob Jensen, who led the talks, said the deal "strikes a balance between the scientific advice and protecting vulnerable fish stocks".
The rules will apply from January 1.
(Reporting by Kate Abnett and Graham Keeley. Editing by Mark Potter)
A fishing quota is a limit on the amount of fish that can be caught in a specific area during a certain time period, aimed at ensuring sustainable fish populations.
The Mediterranean Sea is a large sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, bordered by Europe to the north, Africa to the south, and Asia to the east, known for its diverse marine life.
Sustainable fishing refers to practices that maintain fish populations and their ecosystems, ensuring that fishing can continue without harming the environment or depleting resources.
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