Members of a European fishing industry group said they believe sanctions are imminent against the Faroe Islands for overfishing herring, mackerel and other species.
The European Association of Fish Producers Organizations’ Northern Pelagic Working Group (NPWG) issued a statement after meeting with Maria Damanaki European commissioner for maritime affairs and fisheries.
“Following a successful meeting with Commissioner Maria Damanaki this morning the E.U. pelagic fishing industry is very confident that appropriate trade sanction measures will be imposed against the Faroe Islands within a month,” the NPWG said in its statement.
The E.U. and the commission have been criticizing the Faroes, along with Iceland, ever since both countries began fishing beyond their catch limits for mackerel, and just last week the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) announced it was suspending its certification for the Faroese herring fishery. The MSC said its decision was based on part on the Faroese government setting its own quota that was thousands of metric tons higher than the level set by a multinational agreement last year.
NPWG officials said they also believed sanctions would come against the Faroese over mackerel, too.
“The industry is also confident that associated species such as mackerel will be included in these sanction measures,” the NPWG said in its statement.
In her blog, Damanaki herself did not discuss the meeting other than to acknowledge it took place, but NPWG Chairman Gerard van Balsfoort still said he was encouraged by the meeting.
“Today we met a very determined commissioner to follow through on her commitment to stop the irresponsible behavior by the Faroe Islands, which has a direct detrimental effect on the workforce employed by the E.U. seafood sector,” he said.
