Friday, 1st October 2010
No appeasement in ‘mackerel war’
The EU must not appease Iceland and the Faroe Islands in the ongoing ‘mackerel war’, Scottish Conservative MEP Struan Stevenson said following a major conference in Aberdeen today.
The North Sea Commission summit, which discussed a range of issues affecting the nations bordering the North Sea from renewable energy to fisheries management, was attended by European Fisheries Commissioner Maria Damanaki.
Mr Stevenson joined Scottish pelagic skippers led by Scottish Pelagic Fishermen’s Association chief executive Ian Gatt, Scottish Fisheries Secretary Richard Lochhead MSP and UK Fisheries Secretary Richard Benyon MP to greet Ms Damanaki at the Ardoe House Hotel near Aberdeen. The skippers presented Ms Damanaki with a hamper of high quality mackerel products found in supermarkets and thanked her for her support for their cause.
Three weeks ago, Mr Stevenson travelled to the Faroe Islands as the European Parliament’s official representative and held talks with the Faroese Fisheries and Foreign Ministers. Further negotiations at civil servant level between the nations involved are scheduled to take place in London on October 12.
Mr Stevenson said:
“While Iceland and the Faroes have already admitted catching most of their vastly inflated mackerel quotas for 2010, we must not appease them with bumper quotas for next year at the upcoming London talks.
“I have been heartened by Commissioner Damanaki’s tough stance on this issue and she remains committed to ensuring the EU is not pushed around. I trust this principle will guide Commission officials in their negotiations.
“Iceland and the Faroes have taken a totally unjustifiable risk with North Atlantic mackerel stocks, which EU fishermen have worked hard to protect in recent years.
“If they have a grievance about quotas, they should discuss this properly instead of simply setting themselves enormous catches which go against all scientific advice.
“An agreement is needed, but not at any cost. If the EU caves in to these bully-boy tactics, it will set a dangerous precedent which our fishermen cannot afford.”
