The UK has secured bilateral fisheries agreements with Norway and
the Faroe Islands for 2026, worth approximately £8 million in
historic UK landing prices.
The agreements will grant the UK the same tonnage of Arctic
stocks in Norwegian waters and of valuable stocks, including
haddock and saithe, in Faroese waters in 2026 as for
2025, maintaining continuity for industry.
The deals transfer quota to the UK of over 1,000 tonnes in Arctic
stocks and over 2,000 tonnes of stocks in Faroese waters, as well
as additional North Sea herring quota.
Both agreements demonstrate the UK's commitment to
managing fisheries sustainably, supporting the long-term
viability of stocks in the North Sea, and to cooperation with
other parties on monitoring, control and
surveillance.
The fishing opportunities and access arrangements the UK has
secured through agreements with Norway and the Faroe Islands
build on other fisheries deals signed with the EU and other
coastal states earlier this month, bringing the UK's total
fishing opportunities for 2026 to around £840 million based on
historic landing prices.
A Defra spokesperson said:
These agreements deliver tangible benefits for our fishing
communities and will bring in approximately £840 million in
fishing opportunities for UK fishers in 2026.
Providing stability and continuity for our fishing industry is
vital so they can plan ahead, invest in their businesses, and
continue supporting the coastal communities that depend on
them.
UK-Norway bilateral agreement
The UK has secured approximately £3 million in fishing
opportunities, based on historic landing prices, through quota
exchanges with Norway.
This includes fishing opportunities of Arctic stocks in Norwegian
waters and an additional 657 tonnes of quota of North
Sea herring, attained following the signing on 5
December 2025 of the landmark North Sea herring deal in the
UK-EU-Norway trilateral negotiations.
Industry will benefit from secured continuity of access
for UK vessels of up to 30,000 tonnes for whitefish stocks in
Norwegian waters.
The UK has also established a longer-term herring
agreement of up to 20,000 tonnes access in each country's waters
which will enable the UK fleet to fish Atlanto-Scandian
herring in Norwegian waters.
UK-Faroe Islands bilateral
agreement
The UK has secured over 2,000 tonnes
of additional fishing opportunities in valuable Faroese
stocks, worth approximately £5 million based on historic landing
prices, following annual negotiations with the Faroe Islands for
2026.
The agreement remains stable with the arrangements from
2025, maintaining continuity for the UK fleet amid
challenging scientific evidence for some key stocks in UK waters
in the North Sea.
The agreement provides the UK fleet with quota in haddock, cod,
saithe, blue ling, ling, redfish, flatfish and
other species in Faroese waters.
Agreed Records
The UK-Norway Agreed Record is published and available to read on
GOV.UK here: Fisheries: bilateral
agreement with Norway for 2026 - GOV.UK
The UK-Faroe Islands Agreed Record for 2026 is published and
available to read on GOV.UK here: Fisheries: bilateral
agreement with the Faroe Islands for 2026 - GOV.UK
The fishing opportunities for UK fishing boats which reflect this
agreement will be published in the Secretary of State
determination of fishing opportunities for British fishing boats
for 2026 in due course.
