The country effectively falls into line with the EU strategy of hoping that economic pressure will lead to the resumption of meaningful negotiations. An announcement from the Norwegian Ministry of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs said the ban includes landings from Icelandic and Faroese vessels in Norwegian ports and catches from foreign vessels operating under licence from the two governments.

However, critics argue that with a high demand for mackerel from outside the EU and Norway, the two countries will have little trouble finding alternative markets or getting a good price for the fish.

In a joint statement recently the Norwegian Fisheries Minister Lisbeth Berg-Hansen and the EU Fisheries Commissioner Maria Damanaki said they were deeply concerned about the "irresponsible actions" of Iceland and the Faroes.

They added: "We are also deeply concerned about The Faroe Islands chartering foreign vessels to catch their unilateral quota, in a clear move away from responsible, modern fisheries management.

"These unilateral mackerel quotas far exceed their traditional level since 1999 and they overshoot the total catch recommended by scientists for the whole of the European fishery by almost 50 per cent.  Such an excessive exploitation poses a threat to the health of that important fish stock and it violates our common interest in a sustainable fishery.

"We are committed to co-operating closely to avert further damage for the mackerel stocks in the North Atlantic, caused by the unilateral actions of Iceland and the Faroe Islands.  The European Union and Norway are examining all possible options for stopping this damaging exploitation. We intend to coordinate our actions.'

"We call on 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."

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