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TALKS to try to find a solution to the EU and Norway mackerel dispute with Iceland and the Faroe Islands are going into their second week.
They ended in London on Friday without agreement, but will resume on Wednesday, which suggests that some progress was made.
Reports from Iceland suggest that the negotiations last week were positive and there were serious efforts to strike a deal. During the last two years Iceland and the Faroes have given themselves large independent mackerel quotas averaging almost 150,000 tons each, which the EU and Norway say will destroy the stock.
Scottish fishermen are among the most angry among EU crews because they say they have the most to lose if the fishery is damaged beyond repair.
Both Iceland and the Faroe Islands go into Wednesday's talks well aware that the threat of more general trade sanctions hovers over both countries if no deal is reached. Britain's Fisheries Minister Richard Benyon secured the support of the Irish Government in pressing for possible sanctions after a meeting with his Dublin opposite number Simon Coveney .
He told reporters: said: “I want to reach an agreement with Iceland and the Faroese, but if they continue to fish at the same level as they’re doing this year, then the stock could be in danger as early as 2014. We cannot allow that to happen.“
"Mackerel is vitally important to the Scottish fleet in particular, and it’s not right that they should lose out when they have played by the rules."
He added: “We had a very constructive meeting with the Irish delegation this morning, who feel the same as we do, that if Iceland and the Faroe Islands don’t stop taking more than their fair share then the sanctions proposed by the commission must be considered as soon as possible."
Richard Lochhead, Scotland's Fisheries Minister said: “We all agreed that sanctions promised by the commission need to be tabled as soon as possible to demonstrate our resolve to respond robustly to actions taken by Iceland and Faroes and we will continue to press for this.
"It was also agreed it is important to continue to try and seek a negotiated agreement with Iceland and Faroes through the current talks being held in London, which are still moving forward and due to resume again next week. But such an agreement cannot be at any price.”
Mr Coveney said: "I appreciate that serious efforts are underway to reach agreement on the share out of mackerel, which is Ireland's most important fishery. I am very concerned that an agreement is not secured at a high cost as the share given to Iceland and the Faroes involves a reduction in Ireland's share. The share agreed, therefore, must be fair and proportionate."
Minister Coveney also said that the Ministers had agreed "to strongly demand trade sanctions, promised by Commissioner Damanaki, in the event that either Iceland or the Faroes are not prepared to stop their irresponsible fishing".
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