EU set to punish Faroe Islands and Iceland in fish row

The EU is to fast-track trade sanctions against Iceland and the Faroe Islands as the mackerel war threatens to halve Ireland’s quota of its most valuable stock next year.

Fisheries Minister Simon Coveney accused Iceland of irresponsibly plundering mackerel that is worth around €100m a year to Irish fishermen and keeps 10 processing factories busy.

The battle also threatens Iceland’s bid to join the EU, as member states say they would be reluctant to open the next stage of negotiations, which deals with fish.

Norway concluded agreement with the EU on mackerel which, according to fishing representative Sean O’Donoghue, gives Ireland 68,000 tonnes this year, about the same as last year. Over the past few years, mackerel has become Ireland’s most valuable fish and is caught year-around.

Traditionally Iceland got just 0.3% of the quota share and Faroe 4.8% of the fish that was in their waters for just a few summer months.

But the stocks have been moving north recently and, since 2008, fishermen from both countries have ignored the quotas and have been catching 50% of what is available, threatening the survival of the species.

There has been five rounds of what Mr Coveney described as “torturous” negotiations between the EU and the two countries, with Iceland wanting close to a third of the entire quota.

They have been offered 7% and Faroe Islands 8% but they have rejected this.

Mr Coveney said if the two islands got what they were demanding, the quota left for Ireland would be halved. Ireland has the second biggest share at 10.5% after Scotland.

The sanctions, which will ban imports of pelagic fish such as mackerel and its products, fishing gear and boats, will now depend on the European Parliament agreeing to it, a move that will be led by Donegal MEP Pat “the Cope” Gallagher who chairs the EU-Iceland joint committee.

He told the parliament last week that sanctions, if implemented, “will result in serious economic consequences for countries that play Russian roulette with our shared resources”.

Ministers agreed in principle to ban fishermen from throwing fish back because it is undersize or they do not have a quota for it. Mr Coveney says Irish research estimates that 50% of fish caught are discarded, dead, back into the sea.