Danish fishing rights for herring in 2026 are heavily concentrated in the hands of a small number of large vessels and companies, with the top five vessels dominating ownership across key fisheries.
Fishing rights in Denmark are allocated as quota shares. Vessel owners can trade, lease, or borrow these rights, but retain their share unless they sell it.
In several major herring fisheries, a handful of operators control most of the available quota.
NVG herring dominated by Hirtshals vessels
For NVG herring (Atlanto-Scandian herring), three vessels based in Hirtshals control 71% of Danish fishing rights. With a fourth vessel included, the share rises to 88%.
The largest individual shares are held by:
- HG 333 Isafold: 25.3% (2,794 tonnes)
- HG 265 Asbjørn: 23.9% (2,654 tonnes)
- HG 62 Beinur: 22.6% (2,531 tonnes)
- S 264 Astrid: 17.5% (2,025 tonnes)
- S 144 Themis: 5.7% (596 tonnes)
Two Swedish-owned vessels together hold 23.2% of the Danish NVG herring rights.
North Sea herring is also highly concentrated
In the North Sea, two companies control nearly 45% of Danish herring fishing rights. The five largest companies hold a combined 89.2%.
Swedish-owned companies account for 43.8% of the total rights in this fishery.
The largest vessel shares include:
- S 264 Astrid: 22.6% (8,727 tonnes)
- HG 333 Isafold: 22.6% (8,146 tonnes)
- HG 265 Asbjørn: 14.4% (5,695 tonnes)
- HG 62 Beinur: 13.4% (5,314 tonnes)
- S 144 Themis: 6.8% (2,458 tonnes)
Skagerrak, Kattegat and Baltic patterns
In Skagerrak and Kattegat, the two largest fishing companies hold 56.2% of the herring rights. The top five control 92.5%. Swedish-owned firms account for 52.9%.
In the eastern Baltic Sea, five companies control 76% of all herring fishing rights. Swedish-owned companies hold 70.4% of the total.
Fishing for herring is not permitted in the western Baltic. In Skagerrak and Kattegat, quota holders can instead fish their allocated volumes in the North Sea.
Quota shares do not match actual catches
The distribution of fishing rights does not always reflect actual catches at any given time. Vessel owners may trade or lease quotas, meaning their catch can differ from their quota share.
Overall, Danish herring fishing rights in 2026 are characterised by strong concentration among a limited number of large vessels and companies across all major fishing areas.