New talks aim to resolve row over mackerel

FRESH negotiations between the EU, Norway, Iceland and the Faroes will start in Oslo today in a bid to break the deadlock on mackerel quotas for 2011.

The talks in the Norwegian capital follow the breakdown of talks last month aimed at resolving the dispute over the decision of the Faroe Islands and Iceland to set autonomous quotas for mackerel landings this year.

Scottish trawlermen staged blockades earlier this year to prevent Faroese vessels from landing their catches in Scotland after the Faroe Islands set a quota for mackerel at 85,000 tonnes for this year – more than three times their previous allowable catch – while Iceland set a quota of 130,000 tonnes.

Ian Gatt, chief executive of the Scottish Pelagic Fishermen's Association, said: "This is the last opportunity this year to try to strike a deal for the 2011 fishery. Our fishermen have complex businesses to run, and failure to reach agreement this week will result in great anxiety and make it very difficult for skippers to plan ahead."