Bigeye tuna quotas 2026: 2,927,883 kg available for Spanish fishing fleets

Key data

Spanish fishing fleets authorized to catch bigeye tuna (Thunnus obesus) in the Atlantic have a specific window of opportunity in the final stretch of 2026: access to 2,927,883 kg of surplus quota pooled through the optimization mechanism activated by the Resolution of September 2, 2026 from the General Secretariat of Fisheries (BOE-A-2026-18633). The regulation enters into force on September 5, 2026 and establishes the exact conditions for access, control and exclusion.

What does this regulation establish?

The resolution activates the bigeye tuna quota optimization mechanism in the Atlantic for the 2026 fiscal year. Its objective is to prevent quota kilos unused by some fleets from going to waste, redistributing them among vessels that need them most.

The operating rules are as follows:

• Available common pool: 2,927,883 kg from surpluses of different fleets.
• Access condition: The vessel must have exhausted 100% of its individual or joint allocation before accessing the common quota.
• Automatic exclusion: Vessels that exceeded their adapted quota by more than 10% as of August 20, 2026 are excluded.
• No express authorization required: No prior permission is required to access the surplus. Access is managed directly under the control of the General Directorate of Fisheries Management and Aquaculture.
• Temporary transfer restriction: Temporary quota transfers made between July 31 and September 1 were not authorized, in order to correctly calculate available surpluses.

Economic and operational impact

The mechanism represents a significant additional catch opportunity for fleets that have managed their individual quota well. With nearly 2.93 million kg available—equivalent to 34.8% of the total ICCAT quota—, shipowners who exhaust their allocation before access to the common pool closes can significantly increase their catch volume in the final stretch of the year.

From an operational perspective, there are two direct consequences:

• Opportunity: Vessels that have managed their quota efficiently and exhausted it 100% can access additional catches without prior procedures, reducing bureaucracy and streamlining operations.
• Exclusion risk: Vessels that exceeded their adapted quota by more than 10% as of August 20 are automatically excluded from the distribution. This directly penalizes those who have engaged in overfishing relative to their allocation.

The blocking of temporary transfers between July 31 and September 1 also has an operational impact: any quota movement made during that period was not computed for the calculation of surpluses, which may affect the actual position of some vessels in accessing the common pool.

Who does it affect?

• Spanish shipowners and fishing companies with vessels authorized to catch bigeye tuna (Thunnus obesus) in the Atlantic under the ICCAT framework.
• Fleets that have exhausted their individual or joint quota and want to access the common pool of 2,927,883 kg.
• Vessels that exceeded their adapted quota by more than 10% as of August 20, 2026 (excluded from the mechanism).
• Companies that made temporary quota transfers between July 31 and September 1, 2026 (those transfers were not authorized for purposes of calculating surpluses).
• Fleet managers and supervisors who must report catches and control access to surplus to the General Directorate of Fisheries Management and Aquaculture.

Practical example

Imagine a Spanish tuna vessel with an individual allocation of 300,000 kg of bigeye tuna for 2026. By early September it has caught exactly those 300,000 kg, exhausting 100% of its quota. Furthermore, as of August 20 it had not exceeded its adapted quota by more than 10%.

In this case, the vessel meets both conditions to access the common pool of 2,927,883 kg: it has exhausted its allocation and is not excluded for overfishing. It does not need to request express authorization; the General Directorate of Fisheries Management and Aquaculture will control access directly. The shipowner can plan new fishing trips to take advantage of the available surplus quota in the common pool before it runs out.

Conversely, if that same vessel had caught 330,001 kg as of August 20 (that is, more than 10% above its adapted quota of 300,000 kg), it would be automatically excluded from the optimization mechanism, with no possibility of accessing the collective surplus.

What should companies do now?

1. Verify the status of individual quota: Check whether the vessel has exhausted 100% of its individual or joint allocation, which is the essential requirement to access the common pool of 2,927,883 kg.
2. Review the situation as of August 20: Confirm that the vessel did not exceed its adapted quota by more than 10% on that date. If it did, it is excluded from the mechanism and there is no possibility of accessing the surplus.
3. Check the impact of temporary transfers: If quota transfers were made between July 31 and September 1, verify how they affect the vessel's actual position, since those operations were not authorized for purposes of calculating surpluses.
4. Coordinate with the General Directorate of Fisheries Management and Aquaculture: Although express authorization is not required, it is advisable to maintain contact with the control body to know the status of the common pool and plan fishing trips with updated information.
5. Plan additional catches quickly: The common pool is limited (2,927,883 kg) and access is on a first-come, first-served basis as individual quotas are exhausted. Acting quickly maximizes the chances of additional catch before the surplus runs out.

Official source

Consult complete regulation at official source

Notice: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For specific decisions, consult a qualified professional. Source: https://www.boe.es/diario_boe/txt.php?id=BOE-A-2026-18633