Brussels, 18/03/2014 (Agence Europe) - Following the arrangements made between the coastal states (not including Iceland: see EUROPE 11039) on mackerel in the north-east Atlantic, the EU and the Faroe Isles concluded an agreement, on Thursday 13 March, on reciprocal exchanges of fishing opportunities in the waters of each party for the year 2014. This is the first annual agreement of this kind for four years, as the parties had previously failed to agree on this point due to the long-standing mackerel dispute.
This agreement will help to smooth relations between the EU and the Faroe Isles - the EU imposed sanctions on the Faroe Isles, stating that the country was over-fishing Atlanto-Scandian herring (see EUROPE 11029).
The new agreement signed last Thursday provides for the exchange of a number of important quotas, including cod, haddock, saithe and redfish for the EU; Norway pout and blue whiting for the Faroe Isles. The parties have also agreed reciprocal access to each other's waters for mackerel and blue whiting.
Details of reciprocal arrangements for 2014:
For the EU (quotas granted by the Faroe Isles): cod and haddock (950 tonnes), saithe (3,000t), redfish (1,300t), blue ling and ling (1,500t), flatfish (300t), blue whiting (2,000t) and other species (800t).
For the Faroe Isles (quotas granted by the EU): ling and tusk (200t), blue whiting (150t), horse mackerel (1,700t), Norway pout (7,000t), blue whiting (15,000t), other white fish (150t), herring (600t), Northern deep-water prawns (1,300t), Greenland halibut (110t) and redfish (250t).
The parties have also agreed access to each others' waters for 46,850 tonnes of mackerel and 25,000 tonnes of blue whiting. (LC)