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THE alleged plundering of mackerel stocks around Iceland and the Faroe Islands is expected to be high on the agenda when EU fisheries meet in the next few days.
Industry are observers are worried about an influx of large and powerful vessels from the Far East, most notably China, in the fishing grounds off Iceland and the Faroe Islands.
The fish is then landed in these two countries for processing before being shipped to Asia. But it is the sheer scale of fishing that is worrying a lot of people who fear it could wipe out stocks.
UK Fisheries Minister Richard Benyon said the issue would be given priority at the EU fish meeting, adding: "We must end this unacceptable situation."
However, the EU has already banned exports of mackerel products from Iceland and the Faroes from coming into the member states, and it is difficult to see what further action can be taken without damaging the fish processing industry in the UK which relies heavily on supplies from Iceland in particular.
Last month Scotland's Fisheries Secretary Richard Lochhead called for the European Union to impose sanctions on Iceland and the Faroe Islands in a bid to break the long-standing deadlock on mackerel quotas. Scottish fishermen's leaders have warned that mackerel stocks - worth £135 million a year to the Scottish pelagic fleet - will be decimated.
He said recently: "These sanctions need to happen alongside continuation of talks to put in place a new international agreement for the mackerel stock.Agreement cannot come at any cost and we will not give in to the bullying behaviour of Iceland and Faroes."
So far the two countries have refused to budge because the income from this fishery source is helping to rebuild their shattered economies. Some observers says that only the threat of tougher action like an all-out ban of their fish products will bring them back to the negotiating table.
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