EU Fishing Quotas 2026-2028: What Changes and How It Affects Your Fleet

Key data

The fishing opportunities set for the 2026-2028 period have just been revised. Council Regulation (EU) 2026/786, in force since 30 March 2026, amends Regulation (EU) 2026/249 and updates the catch quotas for certain fish stocks in both Union waters and third-country waters for European fishing vessels. For any fishing company or shipowner operating under assigned quotas, this is not a minor change: it directly affects how much they can fish over the next three years.

Spain, as one of the EU's leading fishing powers, is directly in the spotlight of this amendment. Spanish fleets operating in European fishing grounds and international waters must update their seasonal plans based on the new allocations.

What does this regulation establish?

This regulation is a targeted amendment to Regulation (EU) 2026/249, which is the base text that set the fishing opportunities for 2026, 2027 and 2028. The adjustments introduced by Regulation (EU) 2026/786 may respond to two types of causes:

• New scientific assessments of the status of fish stocks, which may justify quota increases or reductions depending on the situation of each species.
• International fisheries agreements reached with third countries, which modify the conditions of access for European vessels to certain fishing grounds.

Quotas are set by species, by fishing zone, and are distributed among Member States. Each Member State is responsible for internally allocating its national quota among authorised operators. In the case of Spain, this distribution falls to the Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación and, where applicable, to the autonomous communities with competence in the matter.

Economic and operational impact

For a fishing company or a shipowner, a quota modification has direct consequences on the profit and loss account and operational planning:

• If the quota is reduced: fewer authorised tonnes means lower revenue from fish sales, potential underutilisation of the fleet, and the need to renegotiate supply contracts with buyers.
• If the quota is increased: an opportunity to increase catches and turnover, but it requires logistical planning (crews, fuel, storage and processing capacity).
• Risk of non-compliance: exceeding the assigned quota not only generates administrative sanctions in the current year, but can also result in a reduction of the quota assigned in future seasons, with a cumulative economic impact that can be very significant for fleets of a certain size.

The fact that the amendment affects three consecutive years (2026, 2027 and 2028) makes it necessary to review not only the current season, but also medium-term business plans.

Who is affected?

• Fishing companies with fleets operating in European Union waters.
• Shipowners whose vessels fish in third-country fishing grounds under international fisheries agreements.
• Spanish deep-sea and distant-water fleets, given Spain's weight as a fishing power in the EU.
• Cooperatives and fishing producer organisations that manage collective quotas.
• CFOs and operations directors of companies in the sector who must update catch, revenue and operating cost forecasts for 2026-2028.
• Legal advisors and consultants in the fishing sector who support their clients in regulatory compliance.

Practical example

A Spanish shipowning company with several vessels operating in the north-east Atlantic and in the waters of a third country under a fisheries agreement with the EU has been assigned a national quota for a given species. Following the entry into force of Regulation (EU) 2026/786 on 30 March 2026, that quota may have been adjusted upwards or downwards for some of the stocks it catches.

If the shipowner does not review the new allocation with the Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación and continues operating with seasonal plans based on the quotas of the original Regulation (EU) 2026/249, they risk exceeding the authorised limit. The consequences would be twofold: an administrative sanction for excess catch in 2026 and a possible reduction of the quota assigned for 2027 and 2028, which would affect the planning and profitability of the entire fleet for the remainder of the period.

What should companies do now?

1. Identify which stocks and fishing zones are affected by the amendment introduced by Regulation (EU) 2026/786, by consulting the full text in the Official Journal of the EU.
2. Contact the competent national authority (Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación or the relevant regional authority) to find out the updated quota allocation applicable to each operator following national distribution.
3. Review and update fishing season plans for 2026, 2027 and 2028 based on the new fishing opportunities, adjusting catch forecasts, revenues and operating costs.
4. Monitor compliance in real time of catches made against the assigned quota, to avoid exceeding authorised limits and the resulting sanctions and future quota reductions.
5. Update supply contracts with buyers or processors if the expected catch volumes are modified upwards or downwards.

Official source

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For specific decisions, please consult a qualified professional. Source: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/./legal-content/AUTO/?uri=CELEX:32026R0786