Iceland’s Minister of Fisheries Svandís Svavarsdóttir has cancelled the regulation under which Russian fishing vessels operating on redfish in the Irminger Sea have been able to call in Icelandic ports.
Under Icelandic law, vessels that fish on shared stocks that are not subject to an agreement recognised by Iceland are not free to call in Iceland or seek services. A derogation applied to Russian vessels fishing for redfish in international waters south and west of Iceland has been in place since 1999 – until now.
‘It is not in Iceland’s interest to support fisheries of other countries that are not pursued in a sustainable manner, and for this reason I have decided to cancel this derogation,’ Svandís Svavarsdóttir commented.
‘In addition, it is the position of the Icelandic government that Russia’s behaviour is such that maintaining special derogations that are to their advantage is not acceptable.’
The question of re-examining this derogation applied to Russian fishing vessels has arisen several times in recent years. Taking into consideration Iceland’s relations with Russia in the light of the invasion of Ukraine, the Minister has taken the decision to cancel the derogation. The Russian authorities will be formally notified and the Coast Guard will also promulgate notification of this change.
