26 September 2012
Following the formal agreement at the EU Fisheries Council in Brussels today to penalise Iceland and the Faroes for their gross over-fishing of mackerel, Scottish fishermen are calling on the EC to act with real urgency and ensure that effective sanctions are quickly implemented.
Ian Gatt, chief executive of the Scottish Pelagic Fishermen’s Association, said: “We welcome this formal agreement for action, but the EC must now dramatically step up the pace and get an effective sanctions package implemented as soon as possible.
“Livelihoods in the Scottish catching, processing and other ancillary sectors could be affected if this totally irresponsible over-fishing by Iceland and the Faroes were to result in reduced quotas for our own fishing fleet, which has been adhering to scientific advice and fishing sustainably.”
In recent years Iceland and the Faroes have set themselves massively inflated autonomous mackerel quotas outwith any international management agreement with the EU and Norway.
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More information:
Ian Gatt, SPFA, M: 07803 041021
Bertie Armstrong, Chief executive, Scottish Fishermen’s Federation, Tel: 01224 646944
Keith Broomfield, Tel: 01259 742575, M: 07890 781151
