Ireland pushes for trade sanctions in mackerel war

Ireland has increased pressure for trade sanctions against Iceland and the Faroe Islands over the ongoing mackerel wars that threatens the stocks with collapse inside two years.

Mackerel is one of the country’s most valuable fish stocks and is worth about €100m to the fishermen and maintains about 10 processing factories. However, demands by Iceland and the Faroes could cost the country 20% of its quota.

Sanctions expected to come into force in September would ban all Icelandic and Faroese vessels and any others flying their flag from coming into EU ports; a ban on a range of fish and fish products including mackerel; and a ban on the sale of vessels and fishing gear to and from them.

As the fish moved north and west over recent years, Iceland and the Faroes began to increase their quotas from about 5% to close to 50% of the total allowable catch last year — more than four times Ireland’s quota.

As a result, the countries, together with Norway and the EU, are taking 900,000 tonnes of the fish out of the sea a year, close to one third more than what scientists say is a safe maximum.

Three years of talks have ended in deadlock and Marine Minister Simon Coveney fears the EU will be pushed to concede too much to the two non-EU countries.

They have been offered 15.5% between them but after 13 meetings, are no closer to an agreement, he said.

“The Faroe Islands appear to have no interest and want to set a unilateral quota and Iceland was the same although more open to finding a resolution that would involve a share of the overall quota,” he said following a meeting of fisheries ministers in Brussels.

“I consider the offer is too generous — for every 1% given away, it means 7,000 tonnes less mackerel for Ireland worth about €1m to us. I abhor the idea that we would increase that offer — that Ireland and Britain would lose up to 20% of their quota — to offer quota to countries that have been behaving in a totally irresponsible way.”

The European Commission might increase the offer 10% each when they meet in London in September, he said, but Ireland would not support anything close to this.

“We are not bluffing here — we will proceed to trade sanctions.”