A small group of vessels and companies continues to control most Danish sprat fishing rights in 2026, according to new figures from Sweden-based fisheries outlet Njord.
The report shows that the 10 largest vessels hold 72.5% of sprat fishing rights in the North Sea. The 10 largest companies control 87.6%. Swedish-owned fishing companies account for 56.4% of the rights.
The vessel S 349 Gitte Henning holds the single largest share in the North Sea with 17,558 tonnes, equal to 9.1% of the total allocation. Other major holders include HG 365 Junior, L 25 Aslan and S 204 Tor-ön.
Large quota holders dominate
The article highlights that some vessels with large fishing quotas are not actively fishing all of them. It points to L 25 Aslan and FN 267 Emilie as examples of vessels holding substantial rights. At the same time, quota swaps, leasing and transfers remain common practice.
In Skagerrak and Kattegat, the concentration is even stronger. The 10 largest vessels control 82.7% of fishing rights, while the 10 largest companies hold 84.4%. Swedish-owned firms account for 29.5%.
HG 365 Junior holds the largest allocation in the area with 4,130 tonnes, followed by S 144 Themis and HG 62 Beinur.
Four groups control Baltic Sea rights
In the Baltic Sea, four companies control about 73% of Danish sprat fishing rights. The main players are Asbjørn A/S, Beinur A/S, Themis Fiskeri A/S and the Astrid group.
Swedish-owned companies control 57.9% of the Baltic Sea rights, according to the report.
S 144 Themis holds the largest Baltic allocation with 7,312 tonnes, corresponding to 14.8% of the fishing rights.
Transfers and leasing shape the fishery
The report also notes that some vessels with sizeable quota shares may not fish their allocations directly. Instead, fishing rights are often leased, swapped or transferred between operators.
The figures are based on data from the Danish Fisheries Agency, the Danish business register CVR and the Danish Ship Register.