The EU has been criticized over the “glacial” pace of delivering sanctions on Faroe and Iceland over mackerel quotas.
Speaking during a visit to the NAFC in Scalloway today UK fisheries minister Richard Benyon voiced his “frustration” over the time it is taking to send out a strong message to the island nations.
He insisted the EU needed to “act fast” if the valuable fishery was to be protected.
The EU wants to ban imports of mackerel and other fish from Iceland and Faroe, following huge increases in mackerel quotas by both nations.
The decision to impose sanctions came after repeated attempts to reach a negotiated agreement came to nothing. But no sanctions are yet in place, despite the European Parliament approving the measures in September.
Mr Benyon said: “I feel the frustration that others do with the glacial speed of the implementation of these sanctions.
“The European Union has a bizarre and over-complicated system for bringing these in, which requires the European Parliament to agree it, and it’s just not the way to do business.”
