Fresh effort to end battle for mackerel

Published on Tuesday 31 August 2010 14:01

A SUMMIT meeting is to be held next week in an effort to end the deadlock in the escalating "mackerel war" between Europe and Iceland and the Faroe Islands.

The row over the controversial decision of the two Nordic nations to set autonomous quotas for their mackerel landings, in defiance of scientific advice, will be the focus of an international conference on the future of pelagic fisheries in the North Atlantic due to be held in Torhaven, the Faroese capital, from 7-9 September.

Scottish fishermen have already staged two blockades of Nordic mackerel landings at Peterhead following the decision of the Faroe Islands to set a mackerel quota of 85,000 tonnes for this year. Iceland has declared an autonomous quota of 130,000 tonnes; its fleet is said to have already landed 75 per cent of this.

Struan Stevenson MEP, who will represent UK interests at the meeting, said: "I sincerely hope that we can resolve this dispute through negotiation, although given that Iceland has already admitted catching 75 per cent of its massively increased quota, extreme urgency is now required to prevent a catastrophe in mackerel stocks.

"Some have said this threatens jobs in Scotland, but Iceland and the Faroes have far more to lose."