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Scottish mackerel fishermen have welcomed the commitment givenon Thursday (15 December) by Fisheries Commissioner Maria Damanaki at the EU Fish Council meeting in Brussels that negotiations for a new mackerel agreement in January are the last chance for Faroes and Iceland to avoid sanctions.
If no agreement is reached, then the process will start for the introduction of sanctions.
Whilst details of the full extent of the sanction measures have still to be revealed, Ian Gatt, chief executive of the Scottish Pelagic Fishermen’s Association, said the move by the EC is welcome.
“Mackerel is an incredibly important stock for Scotland and this announcement today by Commissioner Damanaki gives a clear signal that Iceland and the Faroes must now see sense and reach a responsible agreement that will ensure sustainable fishing of mackerel in the north-east Atlantic,” he said.
“If no agreement is reached at the next round of talks in January, then Iceland and the Faroes will have to recognise that they will no longer have full access for the trade of their fish products into the crucially important European market. Hopefully, this will provide the spur for Iceland and the Faroes to reach a fair and balanced deal.
“The Scottish fishing industry will seek assurances from the Scottish and UK Governments that they will lend their full support in delivering the required legislation for sanctions.”
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