Reflections on NEAFC’s annual meeting by DSCC Seamounts Campaign Director, Bronwen Golder
The 44th annual meeting of the North-East Atlantic Fisheries Commission (NEAFC), held in London (11-14th November), will be remembered for the resistance of the majority of its members to taking fisheries management and vulnerable marine ecosystem (VME) protection decisions in accordance with best available science.
From the rejection of a proposal to set a catch limit for mackerel in line with scientific advice, to a vote defeating an EU proposal that NEAFC seek International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) advice on the significant adverse impacts of fishing pots on VMEs, a surprising number of members appeared willing to ignore NEAFC’s mandated responsibilities to sustainably manage fish stocks and protect VMEs from destructive fishing practices.
Amid these disappointing decisions, some progress was made on the key issue of transparency. Following debate in 2024 around vessel compliance with NEAFC VME closures (prompted by the DSCC’s reporting of potential bottom-contact fishing within closed areas), fishing gear will now be included in NEAFC notifications, providing greater transparency on vessel activity. Procedural changes were also introduced that will allow civil society organisations to observe meetings of NEAFC’s two main advisory committees on science, management, monitoring, and compliance (PECMAS and PECMAC). NGOs have long advocated for this change, which will help to bring the regional fisheries management organisation (RFMO) more in line with international standards for open, inclusive decision-making.
However, the meeting fell short of action to protect VMEs. Despite broad agreement among NGOs and strong support for Portugal’s recent announcement that it intends to include the ecologically important Josephine Seamount within a larger Portuguese marine protection area, NEAFC showed no indication of a desire to harmonise its seamount protection efforts with those of Portugal and OSPAR. This lack of engagement with spatial protection ambition is concerning, especially as mounting scientific evidence highlights how fragile and vital seamounts and other deep-sea VMEs are.
Throughout the week, ICES scientists highlighted repeated collapses and declines in fish populations across the region, underscoring the urgent need for ecosystem-based management. ICES also confirmed the timeline for a major review of VME protections, with preparatory work beginning in 2026 and a full benchmarking workshop planned for October 2027.
Alongside the meeting, NGO observers Pew and Sciaena held a well-attended side event on ecosystem-based fisheries management, sparking a lively debate with some States and industry observers from Spain pushing back on the need for marine protection, showing that political prejudices still hinder progress.
Seamount and VME protection remained a shared concern for NGO observers throughout the week. The UN General Assembly has repeatedly called for the protection of VMEs including seamounts, and NEAFC region seamounts, like Josephine, are widely recognised as ecologically unique. Josephine Seamount acts as an important habitat for endangered skates and rays, threatened turtles and a spawning ground for squid. New scientific assessments confirm that the seamount meets all key international criteria for VMEs, strengthening calls for NEAFC to close the area to damaging fishing practices.
In our opening statement, the DSCC urged States to:
- Support Portugal’s proposal to advance protection of the Madeira–Tore complex, including Josephine Seamount;
- Close Josephine to bottom-contact fishing to align protections between NEAFC, Portugal, and OSPAR ahead of the 2026 UN review;
- Ensure all VME closures and potential “other effective area-based conservation measures” (OECMs) are fully protected, including from threats like deep-sea mining;
- Adopt a regional roadmap to harmonise seamount protection across the North-East Atlantic.
Yet, despite strong science, political signals such as the IUCN’s adoption of a resolution to protect seamounts, and NEAFC’s own commitment to lead on area-based management under the High Seas Treaty, the meeting ended without meaningful dialogue on VME protection.
This year’s meeting was a missed opportunity for leadership at a critical moment. With the 2026 UN bottom fisheries review fast approaching and global momentum growing to end destructive fishing on seamounts, NEAFC members must step up and act now to meet their fisheries management and VME protection responsibilities. With UNFCCC COP30 underway, it is clearer than ever that a healthy ocean is essential for a healthy climate. Beyond the EU, NEAFC’s inaction highlights the urgent need to align regional fisheries management with global climate and biodiversity goals. The time for delay is over – action cannot wait.