According to fisheries commissioner Maria Damanaki there would be complete ban to Faroese and Icelandic fishing vessels if the “anarchic” situation created by their massive increases in mackerel quotas is not resolved. She informed that the behaviour of Faroe and Iceland regarding the set quota of mackerel risked causing the collapse of the north-east Atlantic mackerel stock.
The commissioner also said the European Union would be seeking early consultations in order to put the management of the mackerel stock back on a sustainable basis. If the current anarchic situation in the mackerel fisheries continues then the commission will contemplate all necessary measures to conserve the mackerel stock and safeguard EU interests.
She also explained that if EU’s effort fail to generate good result then it is no guarantee that EU will continue to exchange fishing possibilities with the Faroe Islands and Iceland in 2011. The EU particularly regretted Faroe’s unilateral action because it ran contrary to the positive contribution the islands had made with the EU in rebuilding the mackerel stock. During discussions in July Faroe had indicated support for EU efforts to manage the stock in a sustainable manner.
