EU warns Iceland, Faroes over 'mackerel war'

Yahoo News 25 Aug 10;

BRUSSELS (AFP) – Iceland and the Faroe Islands are overfishing mackerel way above a level deemed safe for the survival of the fish, the European Union's executive arm said Wednesday.

Iceland's fishing policies, notably its refusal to share its cod fishing waters, has been identified as a thorny issue to resolve with the EU in the North Atlantic island's bid to join the 27-nation club.

Oliver Drewes, the European Commission's spokesman for maritime affairs, said the dispute over mackerel would be discussed with Iceland and the Faroe Islands at a technical meeting in September.

"They are overfishing more than which is justifiable on the basis of scientific evidence," Drewes said at a news briefing.

"So in fact they are taking more out than which is good to maintain this fish in the future and that is the concern we have on the more fundamental basis," he said.

Iceland has unilaterally decided to raise its mackerel quota to 130,000 tonnes this year compared to the usual 2,000 tonnes.

The Faroe Islands, an autonomous Danish province located between Britain and Iceland, has set a quota of 85,000 tonnes, three times higher than the quota in force between 1999 and 2009 in a deal with the EU and Norway.

The Faroe Islands' fishing minister, Jacob Vestergaard, rejected accusations of overfishing.

"We are not overfishing and the species -- mackerel -- isn't threatened at all. The fish is abundant in our waters," he told AFP by telephone from the archipeligo's capital Torshavn.

Vestergaard said the quota was appropriate given the number of mackerel in their waters, estimates which were based on scientific studies.

The moves by Iceland the Faroe Islands and have angered Scottish and Norwegian fishermen.

A Scottish member of the European parliament, Struan Stevenson, called on Monday for an EU-wide blockade of Icelandic and Faroese ships and goods over what has been described as a "mackerel war".

"Iceland and the Faroes are acting just like their Viking ancestors, only this time it's our mackerel they're plundering," Stevenson said.

"So far they have obstinately refused to bring their quotas back down to sensible levels, so I believe the EU must apply maximum pressure to bring them back to the table," he said.

The international environmental group WWF has warned that the unilateral quotas set by Iceland and the Faroes could mean a "death sentence" for the fish.

EU overfishing charges 'preposterous': Iceland
Yahoo News 26 Aug 10;

REYKJAVIK (AFP) – Iceland's fisheries minister slammed as "preposterous" Thursday European Union allegations that it was overfishing mackerel and a threat of sanctions.

"We are fishing mackerel that comes up to the coast in great quantity," Jon Bjarnason said after an EU complaint Wednesday that Iceland and the Faroe Islands fished more than was justifiable on the basis of scientific evidence.

And, "according to international laws, we as a coastal country may fish in our jurisdiction so it is absolutely preposterous of the EU or its member countries to make such threats," the minister told Radio Saga.

Iceland's fishing policies, notably its refusal to share its cod fishing waters, have become a thorny issue in the country's bid to join the 27-nation European Union.

The Nordic island nation has unilaterally decided to raise its mackerel quota to 130,000 tonnes this year compared to the usual 2,000 tonnes agreed upon in an accord with the EU, the Faroe Islands and Norway in 1999.

The Faroe Islands, an autonomous Danish province located between Britain and Iceland, has meanwhile set a quota this year of 85,000 tonnes, three times higher than the quota in force for the past decade.

Bjarnason said Iceland and the Faroe Islands did not accept the way the EU and Norway proposed divvying up the quotas but was willing to try to reach a new accord.

"Personally, I put great emphasis on reaching an agreement, but our interests must be recognised and respected," he said.

"The mackerel is after all moving northwards due to rising sea temperatures," the minister said, justifying the dramatic increase in mackerel catches this year off Iceland and the Faroe Islands.

"We have a right to fish from that stock, but of course we want to reach an agreement, like we have done in regard to other (fish) stocks that move between jurisdictions," Bjarnason said.

"But we will do that on our own terms," he added.

Scottish and Norwegian fishermen are particularly angered by what has been described as a "mackerel war".

A Scottish member of the European parliament, Struan Stevenson, called on Monday for an EU-wide blockade of Icelandic and Faroese ships and goods.

The international environmental group WWF has also warned that the unilateral quotas set by Iceland and the Faroes could mean a "death sentence" for the fish.