|
The actions of the Faroe Islands and Iceland have been called 'irresponsible'. (Photo: Stock File)
EU pelagic fishers fight Iceland, Faroes' mackerel policy
 EUROPEAN UNION
Friday, July 30, 2010, 02:40 (GMT + 9)
The European Union’s (EU) pelagic fishing sector asked the European Commission on Wednesday to take “immediate action” to restrain Iceland and the Faroe Islands’ mackerel catching policy.
Iceland’s setting of an autonomous mackerel quota of 130,000 tonnes for this year, the European Association of Fish Producer Organisations said, resulted in the Faroe Islands last week following its lead by establishing an autonomous mackerel quota of 85,000 tonnes.
 |
| Maria Damanaki (Photo: EC) |
Thus, the EU pelagic fishing industry is urgently requesting that the EU commissioner for fisheries, Maria Damanaki, “act quickly and decisively in reaction to this irresponsible behaviour of the two countries.”
The EU’s pelagic fishing industry organised in the European producers’ grouping expressed dramatic concern regarding the actions taken by Iceland and the Faroe Islands despite existing mackerel management and scientific advice, Fishnewseu reports.
“This outrageous behaviour could seriously jeopardise the currently healthy mackerel stock with huge negative economic consequences for the EU industry as a result,” they warned.
They consequently called on the EU to take the following immediate and decisive steps:
1. Immediate suspension of the current (2010) bilateral fisheries agreement between the EU and the Faroe Islands;
2. Request the same from Norway’s government given the existing 10 year mackerel agreement between the EU and Norway;
3. Publicly denounce the Faroe Islands’s new quota and note it is akin to illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing;
4. Develop and implement immediate EU trade sanctions against the Faroe Islands and Iceland;
5. Close the EU ports and EEZ’s for all fishing vessels from those countries;
6. Put Icelandic and Faroese mackerel fishing vessels on the IUU black list;
7. Seek immediate suspension by Iceland of its 130,000 tonnes mackerel quota in the accession negotiations starting on Wednesday.
“The EU must be prepared to stand up for and protect community pelagic fishermen against this outrageous behavior,” stated Gerard van Balsfoort, chair of the European Association’s Northern Pelagic Working Group. “We are not prepared to stand idly by what is happening now and we will not accept any mackerel quota reductions, caused by the irresponsible overfishing carried out by both countries.”
Iceland’s mackerel fishing has also put the sustainability of NE Atlantic mackerel at risk, as former decision making arrangements controlling quota allocations have been undermined. Unless the situation is resolved by the end of 2011, the unilateral quotas and increases in fishing activity will result in the suspension of Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification of fisheries committed to harvesting the stock sustainably.
From 2005 to 2008, Iceland increased its mackerel catch from 363 to 112,286 tonnes – and this year Iceland has allocated itself a 130,000 tonne mackerel quota.
Furthermore, due to its fisheries policy, the country is facing problems in its bid to join the EU.
Regarding the Faroes, the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation (SFF) is supporting the Scottish Government’s challenge of the Faroese application for MSC accreditation of its mackerel fishery due to the Islands’ failure to reach a stock management agreement with other participants in the NE Atlantic mackerel fishery.
Related articles:
- Mackerel fishery risks losing MSC certification
- Iceland, Faroes' mackerel quotas threaten Scottish fishery
By Natalia Real
[email protected]
www.seafood.media
|
Print
