Fisheries in the North Atlantic

Fisheries in the North Atlantic
Name	North Atlantic fisheries
Region	North Atlantic Ocean
Countries	Canada; United States; Iceland; Norway; United Kingdom; Ireland; France; Spain; Portugal; Denmark; Greenland; Faroe Islands
Major species	Atlantic cod; Atlantic salmon; Atlantic herring; Atlantic mackerel; haddock; plaice; bluefin tuna; capelin; shrimp; crab
Management	International Council for the Exploration of the Sea; North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organization; Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization; European Union Common Fisheries Policy; Magnuson–Stevens Act
Area km2	14,000,000
Status	mixed; several stocks overfished; some recovering

Fisheries in the North Atlantic

Fisheries in the North Atlantic have shaped the history and economies of Newfoundland and Labrador, Iceland, Norway, United Kingdom, Ireland, Greenland, Faroe Islands, Portugal, Spain, France, Denmark, and the United States through exploitation of species such as Atlantic cod, Atlantic salmon, Atlantic herring, Atlantic mackerel, and bluefin tuna. Oceanographic features like the Gulf Stream, North Atlantic Drift, Labrador Current, and continental shelf systems determine stock distributions exploited by fleets from Newfoundland and Labrador to the Barents Sea. Conflicts over access and conservation have produced landmark agreements and disputes involving institutions like the European Union, the United States, Canada, Iceland, and multilateral bodies.

Geography and Oceanography

The North Atlantic encompasses distinct biogeographic regions including the Grand Banks of Newfoundland, Labrador Sea, Gulf of Maine, Celtic Sea, North Sea, Skagerrak, Norwegian Sea, Barents Sea, and the Irminger Sea, which lie along coasts of Canada, the United States, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Spain, Portugal, and Denmark. Major currents—Gulf Stream, North Atlantic Drift, Labrador Current, and East Greenland Current—interact with the continental shelf and features like the Shetland Islands and Faroe Islands to create productive pelagic and demersal habitats where species such as capelin, herring, mackerel, and cod aggregate. Bathymetry around the Grand Banks and Rockall Bank and hydrographic fronts influence primary productivity governed by phytoplankton blooms studied by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea and oceanographers at institutions like the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.

Historical Development of the Fishery

European expansion in the Late Middle Ages saw fleets from Basque Country, Brittany, Normandy, Portugal, and Spain exploit cod and herring on the Grand Banks and in the Icelandic and Norwegian fisheries, while North American indigenous peoples of Newfoundland and Labrador and Labrador practiced local fisheries prior to contact. The rise of industrial fleets in the 19th and 20th centuries involved nations such as United Kingdom, France, Germany, Netherlands, Russia, and Norway deploying steam trawlers and freezer vessels; technological change from sail to steam paralleled developments at shipyards like Harland and Wolff and innovations in refrigeration adopted by companies including Christian Salvesen and FrieslandCampina-linked processors. Post‑World War II expansion, the establishment of exclusive economic zones under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and events such as the Cod Wars between United Kingdom and Iceland restructured access and fleet operations.

Major Target Species and Stocks

Principal demersal and pelagic targets include Atlantic cod stocks such as those on the Grand Banks and in the Barents Sea; Atlantic herring in the North Sea and Norwegian Sea; Atlantic mackerel across the northeast Atlantic shelf; Atlantic salmon on rivers of Scotland, Ireland, Iceland, and New England; large pelagic bluefin tuna in the western and eastern Atlantic; small pelagics capelin in Icelandic waters; and crustaceans like northern shrimp and snow crab exploited off Greenland and Labrador. Several stocks have undergone collapse and rebuilding—most famously the collapse of the Northwest Atlantic cod—prompting scientific assessment by bodies such as the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea and management under the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization.

Fishing Methods and Fleet Composition

Fleets include inshore skiffs, coastal trawlers, offshore freezer trawlers, longliners, purse seiners, gillnetters, and pelagic seiner-rigged vessels operated by companies and communities in Newfoundland and Labrador, Iceland, Norway, United Kingdom, Ireland, Spain, Portugal, and France. Methods range from bottom trawling on continental shelves and banks like the Grand Banks to midwater trawling for herring and mackerel, purse seining for bluefin tuna by fleets from Spain and Portugal, longlining for halibut and cod by Norwegian and Icelandic vessels, and artisanal salmon netting in rivers associated with Atlantic salmon runs. Modern fleets integrate satellite navigation from firms like Garmin and weather forecasting from agencies such as the Met Office and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Management, Regulation, and International Agreements

Governance involves multilateral and national instruments: the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the European Union Common Fisheries Policy, the Magnuson–Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization, the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea, and the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organization. Disputes such as the Cod Wars and quota negotiations involving European Union member states, Iceland, Norway, and Canada led to agreements on total allowable catches, quota allocation, and seasonal closures administered by agencies like Fisheries and Oceans Canada, the National Marine Fisheries Service, Icelandic Directorate of Fisheries, and the Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries. Scientific advice from institutions including the Marine Stewardship Council and research programs at University of Bergen informs adaptive management, while conservation NGOs such as Greenpeace and World Wide Fund for Nature press for ecosystem-based measures.

Economic and Social Impacts

Fisheries underpin livelihoods in coastal regions of Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Labrador, Iceland, Norway, Scotland, Portugal, Galicia, and Spain, supporting processing plants, shipbuilding yards, and export sectors tied to markets in the European Union, United States, and Japan. Historical events like the Great Famine-era migrations and modern crises such as the 1992 moratorium on cod off Newfoundland and Labrador produced demographic shifts, community displacement, and policy interventions by provincial and national authorities. Fishing industry organizations and unions such as the National Fishermen's Federation-type bodies, processors associations, and regional development agencies mediate social safety nets, while investments from development banks and private companies influence fleet modernization and market access.

Environmental Impacts and Conservation Efforts

Overfishing, bycatch, seabed damage from bottom trawling on features like the Grand Banks and Rockall Bank, and climate-driven shifts associated with warming of the North Atlantic Drift and alterations in the Gulf Stream have altered species distributions and productivity, affecting stocks like Atlantic cod and capelin. Conservation responses include marine protected areas established by national authorities in Norway, United Kingdom, Canada, and multilateral measures through the OSPAR Commission, gear modifications reducing bycatch promoted by the Food and Agriculture Organization, and recovery programs for Atlantic salmon involving river restoration projects supported by groups such as the Atlantic Salmon Federation and the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organization. Research by universities and institutes such as the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Institute of Marine Research (Norway), Marine Institute (Ireland), and collaborative programs under the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea continue to monitor stock status and inform ecosystem-based management.

Category:North Atlantic