EU raises Baltic herring quotas as Sweden seeks restraint

EU fisheries ministers have agreed to raise the central Baltic herring catch limit by 71% for 2027, despite Sweden pushing for more restrictive quotas to help fish stocks recover.

The agreement reached in Luxembourg on Monday also raises the Bothnian herring limit by 12%. The EU Council said the central Baltic increase remained below scientific advice and retained a three-month spawning closure. Seasonal restrictions also remain in shallow Bothnian coastal waters.

Rural Affairs Minister Peter Kullgren said Sweden had wanted still lower limits but lacked support from other countries. The Swedish government expects the agreed quotas to allow fish biomass to grow next year, projecting 13.5% growth in the central Baltic and more than 1% in the Gulf of Bothnia.

The deal preserves the small-scale herring-fishing exception in the western Baltic. Eastern and western Baltic cod remain restricted to unavoidable catches taken while fishing for other species, and the recreational cod-fishing ban continues.

The Council will formally adopt the decision at a later meeting once the text is finalised in all EU languages.

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