Date: 2025-09-04Category: Not ApplicableState: Union GovernmentCountry: Europe
Commission Regulation (EU) 2025/1781 of 29 August 2025 establishing a fisheries closure for herring in areas 6b and 6aN; United Kingdom and international waters of 5b for vessels flying the flag of Ireland
Issued by European Commission
· Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries
**Executive Summary:**
Commission Regulation (EU) 2025/1781 establishes a fisheries closure for herring in areas 6b and 6aN; United Kingdom and international waters of 5b for vessels flying the flag of Ireland. This regulation is due to the exhaustion of the 2025 quota allocated to Ireland for this stock. The regulation prohibits fishing for this stock from August 1, 2025, onwards.
**Key Points / Main Content:**
* **Quota Exhaustion:**
* The fishing quota allocated to Ireland for herring in areas 6b and 6aN; United Kingdom and international waters of 5b for 2025 is deemed exhausted as of August 1, 2025.
* **Fishing Prohibitions:**
* Fishing for the specified herring stock by vessels flying the flag of or registered in Ireland is prohibited from August 1, 2025. Prohibited activities include searching for fish, shooting, setting, or hauling fishing gear for the purpose of fishing that stock.
* **Authorised Activities (Prior to Closure Date):**
* Transshipping, retaining on board, processing on board, transferring, caging, fattening, and landing of fish and fishery products from catches taken *before* August 1, 2025, remains authorised.
* **Unintended Catches:**
* Unintended catches of the specified herring stock must be brought and retained on board, recorded, landed, and counted against quotas, in accordance with Article 15 of Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013.
* **Entry into Force:**
* The regulation entered into force on September 5, 2025, the day following its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.
**Impact Analysis**
**Ireland:**
* Impact: Irish fishing vessels are prohibited from fishing for herring in areas 6b and 6aN; United Kingdom and international waters of 5b after July 31, 2025. This may affect their fishing activities and income.
* Action Required: Irish fishing vessels must cease fishing for the specified herring stock in the designated areas from August 1, 2025. They must also ensure compliance with regulations regarding unintended catches, including recording, landing, and quota accounting.
Key Entities Referenced
European Union: A political and economic union of member states located primarily in Europe.
Commission Regulation (EU) 2025/1781: A European Union regulation establishing a fisheries closure for herring in specific areas.
Ireland: A country in Europe, specifically mentioned as the member state whose vessels are affected by the fishing closure.
Council Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009: A European Council Regulation establishing a Union control system for ensuring compliance with the rules of the common fisheries policy.
Herring: A species of fish (Clupea harengus) subject to fishing restrictions as specified in the regulation.
Areas 6b and 6aN; United Kingdom and international waters of 5b: Specific geographical areas in the Atlantic Ocean where fishing for herring is being closed due to quota exhaustion.
Council Regulation (EU) 2025/202: A European Council Regulation laying down quotas for 2025 and 2026.
Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013: A European Parliament and Council regulation on the Common Fisheries Policy.
Official Journal EN
of the European Union L series
2025/1781 4.9.2025
COMMISSION REGULATION(EU) 2025/1781
of 29 August 2025
establishing a fisheries closure for herring in areas 6b and 6aN; United Kingdom and international
waters of 5b for vessels flying the flag of Ireland
THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,
Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009 of 20 November 2009 establishing a Union control system for
ensuring compliance with the rules of the common fisheries policy, amending Regulations (EC) No 847/96, (EC)
No 2371/2002, (EC) No 811/2004, (EC) No 768/2005, (EC) No 2115/2005, (EC) No 2166/2005, (EC) No 388/2006, (EC)
No 509/2007, (EC) No 676/2007, (EC) No 1098/2007, (EC) No 1300/2008, (EC) No 1342/2008 and repealing
Regulations (EEC) No 2847/93, (EC) No 1627/94 and (EC) No 1966/2006(1), and in particular Article 36(2) thereof,
Whereas:
(1) Council Regulation (EU) 2025/202(2)lays down quotas for 2025.
(2) According to the information received by the Commission, catches of the stock of herring in areas 6b and 6aN;
United Kingdom and international waters of 5b by vessels flying the flag of or registered in Ireland have exhausted
the quota allocated for 2025.
(3) It is therefore necessary to prohibit certain fishing activities for that stock,
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:
Article 1
Quota exhaustion
The fishing quota allocated to Ireland for the stock of herring in areas 6b and 6aN; United Kingdom and international
waters of 5b for 2025 referred to in the Annex shall be deemed to be exhausted from the date set out in that Annex.
Article 2
Prohibitions
1. Fishing for the stock referred to in Article 1 by vessels flying the flag of or registered in Ireland shall be prohibited
from the date set out in the Annex. In particular it shall be prohibited to search for fish, shoot, set or haul a fishing gear for
the purpose of fishing that stock.
2. Transshipping, retaining on board, processing on board, transferring, caging, fattening and landing of fish and fishery
products from that stock caught by those vessels shall remain authorised for catches taken prior to that date.
(1) OJ L 343, 22.12.2009, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2009/1224/oj.
(2) Council Regulation (EU) 2025/202 of 30 January 2025 fixing for 2025 and 2026 the fishing opportunities for certain fish stocks,
applicable in Union waters and, for Union fishing vessels, in certain non-Union waters, and amending Regulation (EU) 2024/257 as
regards fishing opportunities for 2025 (OJ L, 2025/202, 31.1.2025, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2025/202/oj).
ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2025/1781/oj 1/3EN
OJ L, 4.9.2025
3. Unintended catches of species from that stock by those vessels shall be brought and retained on board the fishing
vessels, recorded, landed and counted against quotas in accordance with Article 15 of Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013 of
the European Parliament and of the Council(3).
Article 3
Entry into force
This Regulation shall enter into force on the day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.
This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.
Done at Brussels, 29 August 2025.
For the Commission,
On behalf of the President,
Costas KADIS
Member of the Commission
(3) Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2013 on the Common Fisheries
Policy, amending Council Regulations (EC) No 1954/2003 and (EC) No 1224/2009 and repealing Council Regulations (EC)
No 2371/2002 and (EC) No 639/2004 and Council Decision 2004/585/EC (OJ L 354, 28.12.2013, p. 22, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/
eli/reg/2013/1380/oj).
2/3 ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2025/1781/ojEN
OJ L, 4.9.2025
ANNEX
No 08/TQ202
Member State Ireland
Stock HER/5B6ANB
Species Herring (Clupea harengus)
Zone 6b and 6aN; United Kingdom and international waters of 5b
Closing date 1 August 2025
ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2025/1781/oj 3/3