Scots pelagic fishermen set to boycott summit over 'mackerel war'

SCOTTISH fishermen are to boycott a summit meeting this 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 North Atlantic fisheries due to be held in Torshaven from today until Thursday.

The Scottish Pelagic Fishermen's Association was due to be represented at the summit. But yesterday association leaders announced that they had decided to boycott the meeting in line with action already taken by number of European fishermen's organisations.

Scottish pelagic skippers have staged two successful 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 and Iceland one of 130,000 tonnes.

Ian Gatt, the chief executive of the Scottish Pelagic Fishermen's Association, said: "We want to send a very clear signal to the Faroese and Icelanders that their dangerous and irresponsible decision to significantly increase their mackerel quotas is not something the international community will tolerate."