EU, Faeroes set 2010 quotas

As it tries to hammer out a bilateral fisheries agreement with Norway for 2010, the European Commission on Tuesday announced that it worked out a deal with the Faeroe Islands.

On behalf of the European Union, the EC and Faeroes agreed on fishing quotas in waters they share, following negotiations held in Brussels this week.

For EU vessels fishing in Faeroes waters, the mackerel quota was set at 3,765 metric tons in 2010, down 217 metric tons from 2009, while the blue ling and ling and blue whiting quotas were set at 2,700 metric tons each, down about 300 metric tons from 2009.

For Faeroes vessels fishing in EU and Greenland waters, the blue whiting quota was set at 9,000 metric tons in 2010, down 150 metric tons from 2009. The horse mackerel quota was slashed by 3,000 metric tons, to 2,000 metric tons in 2010, while the mackerel quota was set at 4,536 metric tons in 2010, down 262 metric tons from 2009.

In the absence of a coastal state agreement on mackerel, no additional access was granted to the Faeroes Islands to fish mackerel in 2010, other than through the reciprocal exchange of quotas.

The Scottish Fishermen’s Federation on Monday said it is “optimistic” that the EC and Norway will finally work out an agreement for 2010 this week. Last month, talks between the EU and Norway broke down mainly over mackerel.

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