Brussels, 25/10/2012 (Agence Europe) - The meeting in London from 22 to 24 October between the coastal states of the EU, Norway, Iceland and the Faroe Islands, did not allow the differences over the allocation of mackerel quotas in the Atlantic to be smoothed out. Talks have been at a standstill for the past three years as Iceland and the Faroe Islands have given themselves very high catch levels for this species without consulting the other parties concerned (EU and Norway). No date has been set for another meeting.
The Icelanders state in a press release that they are aware of the urgent need to reach an agreement on this issue. Iceland is said to have proposed total allowable catches (TACs) of 542,000 tonnes for 2013, i.e. 15% less than in 2012. This has not been accepted by some parties but the coastal states have agreed: - to call on the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) to improve methods of assessing mackerel stocks; - and to enhance cooperation and the control of fishing activities for pelagic species in the North East Atlantic.
Scottish Fisheries Secretary Richard Lochhead said: “We need an international deal that will see the mackerel stock sustainably fished - something that has regrettably not been the case over the past four years, with the Faroes and Iceland pursuing their own irresponsible quotas”. He above all criticises the position of the Faroe Islands which has increased its 2009 mackerel fishing quota five-fold and invited Russian fishing boats to catch fish in the waters of the Faroes as the quota now exceeds demand. (LC/transl.jl)