The Scottish Government will require pelagic vessels to land at least 70% of their mackerel and herring catches in Scotland from 1 January 2026, after international quota cuts slashed available fishing opportunities for both stocks.
The move is an emergency, time-limited response to what ministers describe as an unprecedented threat to Scotland’s processing sector and coastal economy.
The decision follows ICES advice and international agreements that cut the North East Atlantic mackerel total allowable catch by 48% for 2026, alongside a 22% cut for herring.
Mackerel is Scotland’s most valuable fish species and the backbone of its pelagic industry. Officials warn that without intervention, domestic landings could fall sharply, undermining processors, ports, and jobs.
Emergency landing rules from January
Under the new licence condition, vessels fishing against Scottish quota must land at least 70% of their annual mackerel catch in Scotland and 70% of their herring catch in Scotland. This replaces the current combined 55% landing target. No changes are being made for other species.
The Scottish Government says the existing system allows vessels to meet targets by landing more herring at home while selling higher-value mackerel abroad. With mackerel quota falling far faster than herring, that behaviour risked a steep drop in mackerel landings to Scottish plants in 2026.
Modelling cited in the Government’s assessment shows that under a “business as usual” approach, mackerel landings into Scottish factories could fall to around 39,000 tonnes in 2026, with a similar volume still landed abroad.
A 70% species-specific rule is projected to increase domestic mackerel landings by more than 20,000 tonnes compared with the baseline scenario.
Processors and ports warn of severe impact
Processors told officials that mackerel is central to their business models and that even moderate supply cuts threaten viability. Plants are highly specialised, with limited ability to switch to other species. Several warned of risks to employment, cash flow, and recent investments if throughput declines significantly.
Port authorities also raised concerns. Pelagic landings, especially mackerel, are a significant source of port income and underpin recent and planned infrastructure projects. Officials warned that lower landings would immediately hit revenues. At the same time, fixed costs remain, weakening ports as they are already under pressure to diversify.
The Government concluded that voluntary measures would not deliver reliable results in a year of such severe quota constraints and that regulatory action was needed to protect domestic capacity.
Fleet split over tighter rules
Views within the catching sector were divided. Some vessel owners, particularly those linked to processing plants, supported more decisive intervention to stabilise onshore supply. Others opposed tighter landing rules, arguing they reduce commercial flexibility and weaken price competition by limiting access to foreign markets.
The Government accepted that the fleet also faces pressure from lower quotas and uncertainty over future prices. It rejected both a lower 55% species-specific target, which it said would not protect throughput, and a 100% requirement, which it judged too intrusive and risky for market functioning.
Additional Quota allocations will remain unchanged for 2026, despite calls to link them more closely to Scottish landings. Ministers say the issue will be reviewed separately once the immediate crisis has passed.
The new landing rules will apply only in 2026. They will be monitored throughout the year to inform decisions for 2027 and beyond.