Fisheries Science Board 2026: new members and changes in composition

Key data

The Fisheries Science Board strengthens its role as a scientific advisory body for sector decisions. The Order PJC/963/2026, of September 7, amends Order PCM/1140/2022 which created this forum in November 2022, incorporating five new seats and clarifying the role of the secretariat. The change enters into force on September 17, 2026, one day after its publication in the BOE.

For the fishing sector, this means that more organizations with scientific capacity and citizen participation will have formal voice in decisions affecting quotas, closures, aquaculture and ecosystem management of marine resources.

What does this regulation establish?

Order PJC/963/2026 introduces three types of changes to the original Fisheries Science Board:

1. New seats incorporated

Five new entities are added with formal representation on the Board:

2. Redefinition of functions

Specific functions of ministerial policy toward research organizations are eliminated. The Board is consolidated as a dialogue forum between science, sector and civil society, with no executive role in the transmission of ministerial directives.

3. Change in the secretariat

The Board's secretariat is assigned exclusively to the General Secretariat for Fisheries, eliminating any ambiguity about who manages and convenes the body.

Comparison: before and after the amendment

Economic and operational impact

This amendment does not generate direct costs for fishing sector companies or incorporated organizations. Its impact is operational and institutional: it changes who has a voice in decisions that do have economic consequences for the sector.

Decisions arising from the Board's scientific advice influence high-impact economic aspects for the sector:

• Establishment of fishing quotas and total allowable catches (TAC)
• Definition of temporary and spatial closures
• Regulation of fishing gear under the ecosystem approach of the Common Fisheries Policy
• Decisions on aquaculture and marine resource management

The incorporation of Ibercivis (citizen science) and the CETMAR Foundation expands the knowledge base available for these decisions, while the entry of the State Research Agency strengthens the link with funding for scientific projects applied to the sector.

For research organizations already present, the elimination of ministerial policy functions represents a clarification of their role: they participate as independent scientific advisors, not as executors of directives.

Who does it affect?

• Fishing companies and shipowners: decisions advised by the Board affect their quotas, permitted gear and fishing zones.
• Fishing associations and sector organizations: with representation on the Board or participating in consultations prior to regulatory decisions.
• Marine research organizations: IcatMar, CETMAR, the IEO and other centers whose scientific work feeds the forum's recommendations.
• Environmental NGOs: with presence on the Board as representatives of civil society in the dialogue on ecosystem management.
• Regional administrations with fishing competencies: that interact with the forum's decisions at the territorial management level.
• State Research Agency and Ibercivis: as new members with formal seats from September 17, 2026.

Practical example

A shipping company operating in the Cantabrian Sea that wants to influence the regulation of a new closure proposed under the ecosystem approach of the Common Fisheries Policy previously had limited access to the scientific advisory process that precedes that decision.

With the new composition of the Board, the Directorate General for Fisheries and Aquaculture Management has a direct seat, which means that the administration responsible for fisheries management is formally integrated into the dialogue forum. This shortens the circuit between scientific advice and regulatory decision.

At the same time, the incorporation of Ibercivis opens the door for citizen science data (for example, sightings or catches recorded by fishermen collaboratively) to have formal representation in the body that advises decisions. For a fishing association or company already participating in citizen science projects, this represents a new channel of influence and institutional recognition.

What should companies do now?

1. Identify if your organization can have representation on the Board: check if you belong to any of the entities with seats (fishing sector, scientific organizations, environmental NGOs) or if you can participate through them.
2. Update your institutional contacts: the secretariat is assigned exclusively to the General Secretariat for Fisheries. Any communication or request for participation should be directed to this body.
3. Follow the Board's calls and minutes: the advisory decisions emanating from the forum may anticipate regulatory changes in quotas, gear or fishing zones with direct impact on your activity.
4. If you are a research organization: verify if your entity already has a seat or if you can arrange your participation through IcatMar, CETMAR or the State Research Agency, now formal members.
5. Consult the complete regulation in the BOE: the Order PJC/963/2026 has been in force since September 17, 2026 and contains the consolidated text of the updated composition.

Official source

Consult complete regulation in official source

Disclaimer: 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-2026-19305