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Ian Gatt |
Scots fishermen welcome joint statement from EC Commissioner and Norwegian fisheries minister on North Atlantic mackerel fisheries
Scots mackerel fishermen have welcomed a joint statement issued by EC Fisheries Commissioner Maria Damanaki and Norwegian Fisheries Minister Lisbeth Berg-Hansen that all possible options are being examined to stop the 'damaging exploitation' of mackerel by Iceland and the Faroes who are both catching enormous unilaterally set mackerel quotas outwith any international agreement.
The statement, which was issued after EU and Norwegian mackerel fishermen met with Commissioner Damanaki on 25 July in Brussels, also called upon Iceland and the Faroe Islands to return to the negotiating table with a constructive approach and to agree on common fishery arrangements for 2012 that are responsible and sustainable.
Ian Gatt, chief executive of the Scottish Pelagic Fishermen's Association said: "We welcome this immediate response from the EU and Norway following our meeting, which is a positive statement of intent.
The north-east Atlantic mackerel stock is an incredibly precious resource and it is vital that Iceland and the Faroes return to the negotiating table to find a sensible resolution that ensures the sustainability of the fishery."
The statement can be found under the following link:
http://ec.europa.eu/commission_2010-2014/damanaki/headlines/press-releases/2011/07/20110727_en.htm
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