News / Mackerel stalemate
FURIOUS Scottish fishermen are demanding action on sanctions against Faroe and Iceland after the two island states gave themselves more than half of the scientifically approved mackerel quota for 2013.
On Tuesday Faroe announced an autonomous mackerel quota of 159,000 tonnes, which represents almost 30 per cent of the total allowable catch of 543,000 tonnes.
With Iceland having given itself a 123,000 tonne quota (23 per cent), between them the two states have claimed 52 per cent of the mackerel catch in the north Atlantic.
Scottish fishermen and their fellow crews in Ireland, Denmark and Holland buttonholed the European fish commissioner Maria Damanaki on Tuesday demanding an end to the stalemate over sanctions Europe has been promising for the past two years.
They point out that as recently as 2006 Iceland and Faroe only shared five per cent of the overall quota.
The islands themselves insist the fish are now spending more time in their waters and therefore they have a right to an increased catch.
Their actions have placed a downward pressure on the price of pelagic fish, affecting profits at processing factories like Shetland Catch.
The fishing delegation in Brussels on Tuesday pressed Damanaki to implement the October 2012 agreement to implement trade sanctions against countries that fish unsustainably and irresponsibly in stocks with a shared interest with the EU.
Scottish Pelagic Fishermen’s Association chief executive Ian Gatt said: “We told the Commissioner that the unsustainable fishing practices of Iceland and the Faroes must not be allowed to continue any longer and that there must be the immediate implementation of trade sanctions that will hopefully provide the catalyst for reaching an agreement.
“The onus is currently on both Iceland and the Faroes to return to the negotiating table, but so far neither country has shown any inclination to do so.”
On Tuesday Faroe set its own autonomous quoat for Atlanto-Scandia herring at 105,000 after walking out of international talks. The figure is three times the amount set by the international management plan.
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