The total allowable catches for species managed by the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) – including swordfish, bigeye tuna, skipjack tuna, and blue shark – remain unchanged from 2025.
Speaking to journalists after the European Union (EU) Fisheries Ministers’ Council, Secretary of State for Fisheries, Salvador Malheiro, highlighted the “excellent news” regarding the red seabream: a 3% reduction for 2026 will be offset by a 12% increase in the following year, part of which may be used in the coming year.
This acknowledges the country’s performance in marine resource protection and efforts to expand marine protected areas, he said.
Furthermore, the projected 55% cuts for black scabbardfish will not affect Madeira, which retains this year’s quota for 2026.
EU Fisheries Ministers reached an agreement early this morning on the total allowable catches and respective national quotas after two days of debates and an overnight marathon session.
