In mid-December, the EU and the Faroe Islands signed a fisheries agreement for the year 2019, confirmed the European Commission on 21 December 2018.
The objective, the Commission explains, was to maintain the balance of fishing opportunities and the high dependence on fishing around the Faroe Islands.
This arrangement does not imply joint management of shared stocks: it contains provisions on transfers of fishing opportunities and reciprocal access to each other's waters.
The parties agreed to grant reciprocal access to fish 24,690 tonnes of mackerel in 2019 (compared to 30,877 tonnes in 2018), representing a 20% decrease in the total allowable catch (TAC) for this species.
For blue whiting and Atlanto-Scandian herring, reciprocal access will be 22,500 tonnes and 4,500 tonnes respectively, to be fished in the respective waters (compared to 21,500 tonnes and 4,000 tonnes in 2018).
The agreement will ensure the continuation of fishing operations in the waters of both parties starting from 1 January 2019. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)