The Faroe Islands have signed reciprocal fisheries agreements for 2023 with Norway and Iceland that largely roll over the terms of this year’s deals.
The Faroese fleet gets 4945 tonnes of cod, 1100 tonnes of haddock, 500 tonnes of saithe and 400 tonnes of other species as by-catch in the Norwegian zone, continuing the current arrangement. In addition, the Faroes have up to 5450 tonnes of cod, 500 tonnes of haddock and 300 tonnes of other species as by-catch under an exchange agreement with Russia.
Norwegian vessels have access to 3000 tonnes of ling and blue ling and 1500 tonnes of tusk in Faroese waters, plus an 800-tonne by-catch quota and a mackerel quota of 6600 tonnes that can be taken in either Norwegian or Faroese waters, and the Norwegian fleet can take up to 50,000 tonnes of its blue whiting quota in Faroese waters.
‘The agreement with the Faroe Islands is important to us,’ said Norwegian Fisheries Minister Bjørnar Skjæran.
‘Norwegian fishermen have a long tradition of fishing in Faroese waters. We are pleased to have put in place an agreement that continues these fishing opportunities in 2023.’
The Faroese agreement with Iceland, signed by fisheries ministers Árna Skaale and Svandís Svavarsdóttir, allows the Faroese fleet a groundfish quota of up to 5600 tonnes, not exceeding 2400 tonnes of cod and 400 tonnes of tusk.
The Faroese share of the Icelandic capelin quota, shared also with Norway and Greenland, remains at 5%, although capped at 30,000 tonnes.
The agreement between Iceland and the Faroes on access to blue whiting and Atlanto-Scandian herring continues, with reciprocal access to waters catch these quotas, while Iceland gets a 1300 tonnes mackerel quota from the Faroes.
