The European Commission has put the Faroe Islands on notice that it will be adopting sanctions against the country in response to unsustainable herring fishing practices.
The commission discussed the idea earlier this week, but now has put the Faroese on notice that the commission intends to “adopt measures.” The announcement, according to the commission, gives the Faroese a chance to speak on their behalf beforehand.
According to the commission, the Faroes broke with a stock management plan in 2013 and set an autonomous quota that is 145 percent higher than their 2012 quota.
“By this action, the sustainability of the stock is highly compromised and its recovery possibilities largely diminished,” the commission wrote in its announcement. “This commission action aims to ensure sustainability to avoid a collapse of the stock which would mean that many fishermen and their families would lose their income.”
The Faroe Islands is technically a province of Denmark, but remains a self-governing province, and for the purposes of discussing fishing quotas, exists as a separate entity from the rest of the European Union.
