Following the December decisions by EU ministers on fishing opportunities for 2026, the fishing industry is entering another year with new restrictions and opportunities. We look at which market segments may feel the greatest impact of the changes and how companies can prepare their supply chains for more challenging conditions.
New fishing quotas for 2026 This is some of the most important information for companies operating in the fishing sector. The decisions taken by the EU Council in October 2025 will not only determine the level of fishing in the Baltic Sea, but also set the direction for planning purchases, production and imports for the following months.
From the perspective of Polish companies, the most important changes concern species of great significance for processing and trade. According to the official announcement from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Poland has secured, among other things, a quota of 24,033 tonnes for herring in the central Baltic for 2026, which represents a year-on-year increase of 15 percent, and 59,300 tonnes for sprat, an increase of 45 percent. At the same time, the quota for salmon in areas 22–31 has decreased by 27 percent, and for dab by 3 percent.
The higher limits for herring and sprats are good news for factories producing preserves, marinades, frozen, and chilled products. In these segments, greater availability of raw materials can help stabilise supply and alleviate some cost pressures, although it does not mean a full return to predictable purchasing conditions.
The situation is considerably more difficult for companies whose offerings are based on species subject to greater restrictions. Both the European Commission and the Council of the EU have maintained a very cautious approach to cod, for which limits still apply only at the bycatch level, not targeted catches. Restrictions also apply to salmon in the main Baltic Sea basin, which may translate into reduced availability of the raw material and further pressure on prices in selected premium categories.
For importers, decisions concerning the Baltic Sea are important, but they should not be analysed in isolation from the wider European market. Limited availability of certain species from the region may increase interest in raw materials from other waters and raise purchasing competition between companies from different EU countries.
In practice, this means the need for earlier contracting of supplies, greater diversification of purchasing sources, and more cautious inventory management. With ongoing regulatory volatility, companies importing fish and seafood must today monitor political decisions as closely as raw material prices and logistics costs.
The coming months will require companies to be more operationally flexible. Processors should analyse which product groups are most vulnerable to changes in prices and availability, and importers should review their supply structures and the terms of long-term contracts.
It is also worth placing a stronger emphasis on scenario planning: alternative species, flexible portfolios, and a faster response to supply changes. In the realities of 2026 Regulatory risk management is becoming one of the key elements of the strategy in the fishing industry.
Changes such as fishing quotas for 2026, raw material availability, processing costs, and security of supply will be among the most important industry topics in the coming months. This is precisely why during POLFISH 2026 — the only fisheries trade fair in Poland and one of the largest in Central and Eastern Europe — at Scene Debate The most important issues in the sector will be discussed, including the impact of regulatory changes on the activities of processors, importers, and distributors.
For companies operating in the fishing sector, it is not only an opportunity to follow trends, but also a place to exchange experiences and discuss practical solutions for a market that is increasingly dependent on regulatory decisions and stock health.
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