“A difficult 2026 for the fleet,” said Elspeth Macdonald, chief executive of the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation, as the latest quota deals landed. She added the outcome is less damaging than feared after talk of a zero-catch for Northern shelf cod earlier in the autumn.

Defra confirmed on 22 December that the UK has struck bilateral fisheries agreements with Norway and the Faroe Islands for 2026. Valued at roughly £8 million on historic landing prices, the deals keep the same tonnage as 2025, move over 1,000 tonnes of Arctic stocks and more than 2,000 tonnes from Faroese waters to the UK, and add extra North Sea herring.

On Norway, officials say the exchange is worth about £3 million, including an extra 657 tonnes of North Sea herring following the 5 December trilateral herring decision. Crucially, continuity is secured for up to 30,000 tonnes of whitefish access in Norwegian waters, alongside a longer-term herring arrangement of up to 20,000 tonnes’ access in each country’s waters, allowing UK vessels to fish Atlanto‑Scandian herring in Norwegian waters.

With the Faroe Islands, the UK gains more than 2,000 tonnes in valuable stocks-haddock, cod, saithe, blue ling, ling, redfish, flatfish and others-valued at about £5 million. The arrangement rolls forward last year’s access to give the fleet stability amid tough advice on key North Sea stocks.

These bilaterals sit on top of the wider 2026 package agreed earlier this month with the EU, Norway and other coastal states. Taken together, UK fishing opportunities for 2026 total around £840 million on historic prices, according to Defra.

For Northern ports built on whitefish and pelagic, the continuity matters. Peterhead-Europe’s largest fishing port-handled 223,341 tonnes worth £265.4 million in 2024 after heavy investment in market facilities and a new ice plant. Those volumes show why predictable access in Norwegian waters is prized by skippers and processors.

Shetland leaders warn the year ahead will still bite. The Shetland Fishermen’s Association estimates the 44% cod cut will wipe more than £16 million from the islands’ economy in 2026. “There is no doubt that 2026 will be a hard year for fishing crews across all fleet sectors,” said executive officer Daniel Lawson.

The North Sea herring picture has shifted too. A new management approach agreed on 5 December underpins the extra UK herring gained via Norway, while Scotland’s pelagic sector says the recent four‑party mackerel sharing deal with Iceland, Norway and the Faroes is progress-“closer to a fully comprehensive deal”-and wants the EU and Greenland to join.

International moves are shaping the backdrop. Norway’s 2026 agreement with Russia set Barents Sea cod at its lowest since 1991, down 16% year on year, while haddock rose 18%. That mix helps explain why Northern boats value secure access to a spread of stocks across neighbouring waters.

Defra’s line is that these arrangements bring “tangible benefits for our fishing communities” and, above all, stability so businesses can plan and invest-language coastal firms in the North have been asking to hear this winter.

The paperwork is now public. Agreed Records for both the UK–Norway and UK–Faroe talks are published, and final 2026 allocations for British boats will follow via the Secretary of State’s determination in due course. For crews from Shetland and Orkney to Fraserburgh, Peterhead and North Shields, that timetable will set the early‑season rhythm.