Letter: Mackerel bullies must negotiate

As a prominent SNP campaigner, Mr Allard's main motive for denigrating my efforts in the ongoing dispute with Iceland and the Faroe Islands over mackerel is doubtless political. However, in accusing me of "acting like a bully" and of "ignorance" on this issue, he has misrepresented the true situation.

The "bullies" are surely Iceland and the Faroe Islands. Iceland has increased its 2010 mackerel quota by an incredible 6,500 per cent to 130,000 tonnes and the Faroes have tripled theirs to 85,000.

These are astronomical increases which fly in the face of scientific advice. They have been set without consulting the other nations that have a stake in a healthy North Atlantic mackerel stock.

Iceland and the Faroes argue that since the stock is in their waters, they have every right to fish as much as they like. But this ignores the central point that mackerel is a migratory species. As such, it will pass through the territorial waters of a number of states in a cyclical fashion, which is precisely why quotas need to be decided consensually by all the nations involved.

Mr Allard may also wish to consider that fellow members of the SNP - Alex Salmond and Richard Lochhead - are as alarmed as I am by the prospect of a depleted mackerel fishery and have strongly criticised Iceland and the Faroes. As for compromising UK jobs by my demand for a blockade of Iceland and the Faroes, he should know that Norway has already taken this decisive action, no doubt in full awareness of the consequences, which will be far greater for Iceland and the Faroes due to their heavy reliance on fishing.

I have argued throughout this crisis that the EU should be equally robust to bring Iceland and the Faroes back to the negotiating table. My stance has been supported by the leading fishing organisations and I will continue to fight Scotland's corner unashamedly.

Struan Stevenson, Brussels