EU set to impose sanctions on Iceland and Faroe

The European Union is set to ban imports of mackerel and other fish from Iceland and Faroe after parliamentarians voted to impose sanctions on the island nations.

The European Parliament approved the measures in retaliation for the huge increases in mackerel quotas taken by Iceland and Faroe which are putting the sustainability of North Atlantic stocks in jeopardy.

Attempts to reach a negotiated agreement between the EU and Norway and Iceland and Faroe have repeatedly come to nothing.

Ian Gatt, chief executive of the Scottish Pelagic Fishermen’s Association, said: “We welcome today’s vote by the European Parliament, although it is essential that the European Commission now moves quickly to implement the measures.

“This is the third straight year without an international agreement on mackerel, which means the sustainability of this valuable fishery is being jeopardised.

“Hopefully, today’s vote will help ensure that Iceland and the Faroes recognise the seriousness of the situation and at long last they will return to the table to engage in meaningful negotiations.”

COMMENTS(4)

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  • Johnny Smith

    • September 12th, 2012 18:18

    As with other nations who have flouted EU quotas of recent times, I feel that both Iceland and Faroe should be penalised by virtue of non-quotas of mackerel for Iceland seven years, and Faroe 4 years based on their recent catching quotas. This alone will hit their fishing fleets hard for their greed. Another aspect is that these nations will require close scrutiny in case they catch mackerel for fishmeal (although this is easily detected) only in the likely event sanctions are imposed.

    Johnny Smith – Bressay

    REPLY
  • John Thompson

    • September 12th, 2012 19:14

    Ian Gatt now hopes that Iceland and Faroes will engage in meaningful negotiations? The nerve of the man!

    Is it meaningful negotiations when EU and Norway go into the negotiations with a “it’s our way or no way!” as the only negotiable term?
    Shame on you, you have forgotten the tremendous assistance that these island nations gave the British during WWII. Without their help in feeding the nation, wich cost them more lives than any other nations on earth during the war years, not one of you would have the possibility of going fishing today.
    You have all forgotten the words of Sir Winston Churchill and the gratitude that he asked all brittons to forever bear towards these people.
    Now its only selfishness and greed that dominate these socalled negotiations, where Britain and EU are nothing more than bullies, trying to use their superior size and stature to dominate these small islands for personal gain.
    Do not forget, if these countries are guilty of overfishing, then Scotland, Ireland, Norway and the EU are equally guilty as well.

    REPLY
  • Daniel Jacobsen

    • September 12th, 2012 20:39

    Thanks to John Thompson!!

    REPLY
  • Thomas Smith

    • September 12th, 2012 23:07

    Why is the macrel going that far north in the atlantic ocean / Norwegian westcoast?

    Why is the temperature of the Atlantic Ocean increasing?

    The Polar Ice is melting from underneath the ice … the hot water streaming up north thru the Atlantic.

    If you drive a car with no oil in the engine, it will not drive that far and get over heated in just a few minutes, “burn” the engine if you don´t stop driving.

    We are pumping up the oil of the Ocean every day … every day there is less and less oil to protect the Ocean from the heat inside the planet ….

    Who is saying the only enemy is the Sun, no rain forests and CO2 …. warming up the planet Earth?

    Something to think about, more Macrel, less Hering, less birds living of the hering. What is happening?

    Has any of those clever people sitting in Brussels ever been on a real fishing boat in the North Atlantic?

    REPLY

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