Key data
| Regulation | Resolution of 23 July 2026, from the General Secretariat of Fisheries, which modifies the one of 4 February 2026 on census and fishing possibilities for deep-sea, large-scale and longliner vessels in the Northeast Atlantic |
|---|---|
| BOE Publication | 25 July 2026 |
| Entry into force | 1 January 2026 (retroactive effects of annex VI) |
| Affected parties | Shipowners and fishing companies operating deep-sea, large-scale and longliner vessels over and under 100 GRT in the Northeast Atlantic |
| Category | Agriculture and Fisheries |
| Geographic framework | NEAFC zone (North East Atlantic Fisheries Commission) |
| Excluded stock | POL/8ABDE (only incidental catch permitted) |
| Inter-annual flexibility cap | 10% of the 2025 adapted quota per vessel |
| Available remedy | Appeal to the Minister of Agriculture, 1-month deadline |
If your company operates deep-sea, large-scale or longliner vessels in the Northeast Atlantic, fishing quotas for 2026 have just changed. The Resolution of 23 July 2026 from the General Secretariat of Fisheries modifies the resolution of 4 February 2026 to incorporate inter-annual flexibilities derived from the 2025 campaign, with direct impact on the fishing possibilities of each vessel during the current fiscal year.
The effects are retroactive to 1 January 2026, which means that any catch made from that date is already subject to the new allocations contained in annex VI of this resolution.
What does this regulation establish?
The resolution introduces four specific modifications to the distribution of fishing quotas for Spanish fleets in the NEAFC zone:
| Aspect | What the regulation says |
|---|---|
| Inter-annual flexibility per vessel | The surpluses generated by each vessel in 2025 are incorporated into 2026 quotas, with a maximum cap of 10% of the adapted quota for that year |
| Redistribution of global surpluses | If the sum of individual flexibilities does not exhaust Spain's global flexibility, the surplus is redistributed proportionally among vessels |
| Deductions for 2025 overages | Vessels that exceeded their quota in 2025 see that excess deducted from their 2026 allocation; overages not deductible in this fiscal year remain pending future regularization |
| POL/8ABDE stock | Is excluded from inter-annual flexibility. Only incidental catch is permitted to favor population recovery |
The regulation being modified is the Resolution of 4 February 2026, which published the initial update of the census and fishing possibilities for the fiscal year. This new July resolution acts as a correction and update to that one, incorporating the actual data from the 2025 campaign.
Economic and operational impact
The impact varies significantly depending on each vessel's performance in 2025:
- Vessels that did not exhaust their quota in 2025: benefit from an additional quota in 2026 of up to 10% of their adapted quota from the previous year. This represents a direct opportunity to increase catches and revenue without additional licensing costs.
- Vessels that exceeded their quota in 2025: suffer a deduction equivalent to the overage committed. If that overage cannot be fully absorbed in 2026 (because it is greater than the assigned quota), the pending balance is deferred to future fiscal years, which may compromise catch planning in the medium term.
- Vessels operating on the POL/8ABDE stock: the impact is severe. The total exclusion from inter-annual flexibility and the limitation to incidental catch imply a drastic reduction in fishing possibilities for this species, with immediate effect from 1 January 2026.
The proportional redistribution of global surpluses among vessels acts as a corrective mechanism: if the sum of individual flexibilities does not reach the global ceiling assigned to Spain by the NEAFC, the remaining margin is distributed among the fleet, which may mean an additional quota increase for some shipowners.
Who does it affect?
- Shipowners of deep-sea vessels operating in the NEAFC geographic zone (Northeast Atlantic)
- Shipowners of large-scale vessels with activity in the same zone
- Companies owning longliner vessels over 100 GRT registered in the census of the General Secretariat of Fisheries
- Companies owning longliner vessels under 100 GRT with activity in the Northeast Atlantic
- Operators with catches of POL/8ABDE (pollock or equivalent species in zone 8ABDE), who see the possibility of transferring inter-annual quota eliminated
- Managers and CFOs of fishing companies who must review catch planning and quota compliance for the rest of fiscal year 2026
Practical example
Suppose a longliner vessel over 100 GRT with an adapted quota for 2025 of 200 tonnes for a given species in the NEAFC zone, and which in 2025 only caught 180 tonnes (surplus of 20 tonnes).
- The maximum inter-annual flexibility applicable is 10% of 200 tonnes = 20 tonnes.
- Since the actual surplus (20 t) matches the 10% cap, the vessel receives exactly 20 tonnes additional in its 2026 quota.
- If additionally the sum of all individual flexibilities of the Spanish fleet does not exhaust Spain's global margin before the NEAFC, this vessel could receive a proportional fraction of the additional redistributed global surplus.
In the opposite case: if that same vessel had caught 215 tonnes in 2025 (excess of 15 tonnes over its quota), those 15 tonnes would be deducted from its 2026 allocation. If the 2026 quota were not sufficient to absorb the complete deduction, the remaining balance would remain pending regularization in subsequent fiscal years.
For vessels with activity on the POL/8ABDE stock, no surplus from 2025 can be transferred to 2026: only incidental catch is permitted, with no possibility of planning directed catches for this species during the fiscal year.
What should companies do now?
- Review annex VI of the resolution to learn the quota assigned to each vessel in the fleet for 2026, including inter-annual flexibilities already incorporated. The effects are retroactive to 1 January 2026.
- Verify if any vessel exceeded its quota in 2025 and quantify the excess deducted in 2026. If the excess cannot be absorbed this year, identify the pending balance to plan future fiscal years.
- Halt or limit directed catches to the POL/8ABDE stock immediately, given that this stock is excluded from inter-annual flexibility and only incidental catch is permitted. Operating outside this limit exposes the shipowner to future regularizations.
- Calculate whether the fleet benefits from proportional redistribution of Spain's global surpluses, to incorporate that additional margin into catch planning for the second half of 2026.
- File an appeal to the Minister of Agriculture within 1 month from publication (25 July 2026) if you believe that the quota allocation or deduction applied to any vessel is incorrect.
- Update catch control systems with the new quotas from annex VI to avoid exceeding the limits assigned in 2026 and generating new overages that will be deducted in 2027.
Frequently asked questions
How much additional quota can a vessel receive from the 2025 inter-annual flexibility?
The maximum cap is 10% of the 2025 adapted quota of each vessel. If the actual 2025 surplus is less than that 10%, the actual surplus is transferred. If it is higher, only the equivalent to 10% is transferred. Additionally, if the sum of all individual flexibilities does not exhaust Spain's global margin before the NEAFC, the remaining margin is redistributed proportionally among fleet vessels.
What happens if my vessel exceeded the quota in 2025 and the deduction is greater than the quota assigned in 2026?
The resolution expressly provides for this scenario: overages that cannot be fully deducted in 2026 remain pending future regularization. That is, the unabsorbed balance will be transferred to subsequent fiscal years, reducing quotas in future years. It is essential to quantify this balance now to plan ahead.
Why is the POL/8ABDE stock excluded from inter-annual flexibility?
The resolution justifies the exclusion in the need to favor population recovery of this species. Therefore, it is not permitted to transfer surplus quota from 2025 to 2026, and catches on this stock are limited exclusively to incidental catch (unintended catches in operations directed at other species).
When do the quota changes in annex VI become effective?
The effects of annex VI are retroactive to 1 January 2026, although the resolution was published in the BOE on 25 July 2026. This means that catches made from the beginning of the year are already subject to the new allocations, and quota consumption must be recalculated from that date.
How and within what deadline can I appeal if I disagree with the assigned quota?
An appeal to the Minister of Agriculture may be filed within one month from publication of the resolution in the BOE (25 July 2026). It is the only administrative remedy provided for by the regulation before resorting to contentious-administrative proceedings.
Official source
Consult complete regulation in 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-2026-16232