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BOTH Iceland and the Faroe Islands have started or are preparing to start mackerel fishing in defiance of protests from the European Union and Norway.
One Faroese trawler has just landed over 600 tons of pelagic fish - much of it mackerel - after a trip to the east of the Faroe Islands.
And the Icelandic fishing company HB Grandi said that preparations are in full swing at its main pelagic facility for the approaching mackerel and herring season, adding that staff numbers are expected to swell significantly over the summer and autumn. There are around 40 permanent staff at the factory, but that should rise to over 100 during the season. The HB Grandi pelagic fleet is expected to go out early next month.
The Faroes has set itself a unilateral mackerel quota of 150,000 tons, but Scottish fishermen are warning that this will seriously damage stocks. Iceland has also given itself a large mackerel quota. Currently the EU has banned any mackerel shipments from these two countries, but this is thought unlikely to have much impact because there is a ready market for the fish in other states. Some fishing organisations and politicians are calling for stronger action, including a ban on all seafood products, but this is thought unlikely.
Recently the Faroe Islands issued a statement saying that,with an economy overwhelmingly dependent on fisheries, mackerel and other pelagic fish stocks in the Northeast Atlantic had vital importance. The Faroese Government also claimed it was committed to reaching a new and effective multilateral arrangement for the joint management of the Northeast Atlantic mackerel stock in 2011 and beyond, in co-operation with the EU, Norway and Iceland.
It also said it took seriously its obligations under the UN Law of the Sea Convention and the UN Fish Stocks Agreement for coastal states to seek agreement on the joint management of shared fish stocks. This point, however, is strongly disputed by the EU and Norway.
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