Defra confirmed on 22 December 2025 that the UK concluded bilateral fisheries agreements with Norway and the Faroe Islands for 2026, valued at around £8 million on historic UK landing prices. The packages maintain 2025 tonnage for Arctic stocks in Norwegian waters and for key Faroese species including haddock and saithe, and add North Sea herring quota; together with earlier December outcomes they bring total 2026 UK fishing opportunities to about £840 million.
The UK–Norway Agreed Record confirms continued reciprocal access of up to 30,000 tonnes for demersal/whitefish in each other’s waters, an additional 657 tonnes of North Sea autumn‑spawning herring for 2026 arising from the 5 December UK‑EU‑Norway trilateral, and a longer‑term arrangement granting 20,000 tonnes of herring access annually in both directions, enabling UK vessels to fish Atlanto‑Scandian herring in Norwegian waters.
For the Faroe Islands, the UK secures more than 2,000 tonnes of additional quota for 2026, with arrangements stable against 2025. Quotas cover haddock, cod, saithe, blue ling, ling, redfish, flatfish and other species in Faroese waters. The Agreed Record also restricts the Faroese use of certain UK‑transferred stocks in UK waters to longline or jigreel, and limits to four the number of Faroese vessels that may target those stocks at any one time.
Management and enforcement provisions are explicit. The UK–Norway record moves North Sea herring to a single‑TAC model, includes a 0.2 percentage‑point share transfer from Norway to the UK, and grants Norway access to fish 1.85% of the TAC in UK waters; for 2026 this equates to access for 6,078 tonnes and a 657‑tonne transfer to the UK. The same document keeps 30,000‑tonne reciprocal demersal access and sets a 2026 review, while the Faroes record establishes a bilateral Compliance Forum and recognises the NEAFC transition to UN/FLUX electronic reporting through 31 December 2026.
Compliance timelines are highlighted for fleet operators. Pelagic vessels fishing in Scottish waters will require fully installed and operational Remote Electronic Monitoring systems meeting Scottish Government specifications from 7 March 2026, with validation and test trips arranged in advance.
These bilaterals sit alongside the broader 2026 outcomes with the EU and other coastal states set out on 10 December. Defra placed the aggregate value at about £840 million and signalled technical measures responding to scientific advice on vulnerable stocks. The Secretary of State determination will confirm UK allocations reflecting the Norway and Faroe Islands agreements in due course.
For operators, maintaining up to 30,000 tonnes of demersal access in Norwegian waters provides predictability for 2026 voyage planning and quota uptake. Additional North Sea herring, together with the 20,000‑tonne reciprocal access arrangement, offers pelagic fleets flexibility when scheduling effort across UK and Norwegian waters.
Defra frames the approach as sustainable management with joint monitoring, control and surveillance. In practice, the 2026 settlements provide continuity of access while tightening expectations on data exchange and compliance across UK, Norwegian and Faroese waters.