The International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) has recommended a substantial reduction in the quota for the catch of saithe (north of 62° N) in 2027 to 127.8 thousand tons. This is 22% lower than both the current quota level and previous recommendations. The reduction is due to the deteriorating state of the stock. According to the Norwegian Institute of Marine Research (HI), the spawning biomass has significantly decreased. Especially weak was the 2020 generation - one of the lowest in the history of observations, which has already led to a shortage of six-year-old fish in the spawning stock. Additional concern is caused by the lack of older age groups (7 years and older). The reasons for this phenomenon remain unclear, noted Arved Staby, who is responsible for the stock assessment. Moreover, in recent years, the fleet has not been utilizing the allocated catch volumes. A similar situation is observed in the current year. This, according to scientists, indicates ...