Scottish fishermen push for lower Faroe mackerel quota

A Scottish fishing industry group is pushing for smaller mackerel quotas for the Faroe Islands in EU waters, as the Faroes and the EU continue to discuss terms of their 2015 fisheries agreement.

Ian McFadden, chair of the Scottish Pelagic Processors Association, said he wants “substantial downward adjustments” for Faroese fishing fleets, which he said are a threat to Scottish fishermen.

The Faroes recently agreed upon a shared quota with Norway, a sign of ongoing goodwill after the end of the so-called “mackerel wars,” where the Faroes, together with Iceland, fought over quota allowances with the EU and Norway.

"This week's bi-lateral talks between the EU and the Faroe Islands have utterly failed to address the unfair access of Faroese vessels to Scottish waters for mackerel fishing or the Faroese landing tax measures, both of which disadvantage the Scottish industry,” McFadden said. “The agreement as it stands is entirely disproportionate and delivers far greater value to the Faroese whitefish and pelagic fleet than we gain in return. If this situation is allowed to continue the Scottish mackerel processing industry will find itself increasingly unable to compete in global markets.”