Brussels,, 14/03/2014 (Agence Europe) - Iceland's Fisheries Minister Sigurdur Ingi Johannsson spoke to EUROPE in an interview in which he harshly criticised the EU-Norway-Faroe Isles agreement on mackerel (see EUROPE 11038). (Interview conducted by LC)
Agence Europe (AE): Why you didn't accept the deal on a total allowable catch of mackerel (and the allocation between costal states)?
Sigurdur Ingi Johannsson (SIJ): To be clear, the EU closed a final negotiation meeting between the coastal states on mackerel in Edinburgh on 5 March. The three state agreement is not reached through a coastal state meeting. Those three states in question turned their backs on a possible agreement which would have been based on sustainable utilisation of the mackerel stock. We consider the total catch allowed according to the agreement to be far too high as it will lead to a fishing level more than 50% in excess of scientific advice. The agreement that was reached does not take into account that there are three other nations that also fish. Secondly, not all parties could agree on the share for Iceland that we had reached in the agreement between EU and Iceland. This share was based on the principle of sustainable utilisation of the mackerel stock. With its decision to enter the trilateral agreement, the European Union turned against this principle.
Why are you so angry against EU and Norway?
In general we have good relations with the EU, and we would like to continue to build on our strong cooperation with both the EU and Norway. But we are deeply disappointed and these actions have now clouded our relations. Obviously, the EU could not deliver on what had been agreed earlier and I find it hard to understand how far away from scientific advice the Union was evidently willing to go in spite of earlier suggestions, rather than honouring our agreement.
Will Iceland accept the share left (15%) in the deal for Iceland (and Russia!), or what will be the amount of the quota for your country?
Iceland will take its time to evaluate the position from all sides and that includes a careful consideration of how we set our quota for this year.
Do you believe that the domestic debate in Iceland on EU accession (referendum) had an impact on the negotiations on mackerel?
No, not at all. These two matters are very different and should be unrelated. That has always been Iceland's standpoint. The mackerel talks, and all costal state talks, are between parties that have been acknowledged as costal states, and all share the same rights around the negotiation table, regardless of which government is in charge at any given time. Coastal states talks are on-going and issues will continue to rise, and be solved, in the future.