Friday, 27th August 2010
Iceland admits 75% of bumper mackerel quota already caught
Iceland has caused fresh outrage in the ongoing ‘mackerel war’ by admitting it has already landed 75% of its enormous 130,000 tonne quota.
Scottish Conservative MEP Struan Stevenson said the revelation was further proof that tough action was needed to show Iceland and the Faroe Islands that EU nations would not tolerate the irresponsible move.
Fridrik Arngrímsson, managing director of the Federation of Icelandic Fishing Vessel Owners, told Icelandic newspaper Frettabladid that his members had already caught 100,000 tonnes of mackerel.
The ‘mackerel war’ started after Iceland increased its 2010 quota by an incredible 6500%, from 2,000 to 130,000 tonnes, while the Faroe Islands have more than tripled their catch from 25,000 to 85,000 tonnes.
The North Atlantic island nations claim they are entitled to do so because the fish have moved into their territorial waters. But quotas for migratory fish are usually set by international agreement, in accordance with scientific advice on the health of stocks.
The Icelandic and Faroese quotas have been set unilaterally and threaten the long-term health of the mackerel fishery, which is worth £135m to Scotland alone.
Ahead of a meeting of the European Parliament’s Fisheries Committee on Monday, Mr Stevenson has written to Carmen Fraga, the committee’s president, calling on her to summon ministers from Iceland and the Faroes to Brussels for talks or alternatively send a delegation to Reykjavik and Torshavn.
Mr Stevenson said:
“This shocking admission is further proof that Iceland and the Faroes are pressing ahead with their gigantic quotas while Brussels dithers.
“If all the North Atlantic nations take their full declared quotas for 2010 – including Iceland and the Faroes’ inflated ones – it will mean one third of all the 2.6million tonnes of mackerel in the North Atlantic will be killed in a single year. This is totally unsustainable.
“Europe must start getting tough with these nations before serious long-term damage is done to the mackerel fishery and Scotland’s pelagic fleet.
“I have called for urgent talks, but we must not shy away from a blockade of their vessels and imports as a way of bringing them to their senses.
“For Iceland, this seems like a short-sighted move ahead of accession talks to join the EU.
“Brussels must send them a message that this irresponsible act will not go unpunished.”
