The position taken by Iceland at the recent NEAFC meeting held in London was to suspend fishing for redfish in the Irminger SEA south-west of Iceland.
According to the Icelandic Ministry of Industry and Innovation, which hold the fisheries brief, ICES advice for the fishery has been unchanged since 2016 when a zero TAC was recommended due to the poor state of the redfish stock.
No agreement was reached within NEAFC on the redfish fishery, which the Ministry attributed to Russia’s opposition and refusal to accept the ICES stock assessment figures.
At the meeting, Iceland proposed a zero fishery for 2020 and 2021, while the EU and Denmark (on behalf of the Faroe Islands and Greenland) proposed a 5500 tonne catch limit for redfish from the deeper stock in 2020.
Both proposals were voted down. This means that nations intending to allow fishing on this stock will set their own quotas.
The Ministry of Industry and innovation states that this outcome is a serious disappointment to Iceland, which has urged NEAFC member states not to set their own quotas, although according to a statement, Russia opposed both proposals and it is clear that it intends to set its own quotas at levels significantly in excess of 5500 tonnes – and would do so regardless of any proposals agreed on at the meeting.
