SCOTTISH Fisheries Minister Richard Lochhead today underlined the need for effective round-the-table talks to end an escalating mackerel dispute.

Meanwhile, Scottish Conservative MEP Struan Stevenson will represent the European Parliament in Torshavn, the Faroese capital, at the conference on the pelagic complex in the Northeast Atlantic Ocean from September 7-9, which will be attended by ministers from the Nordic countries, including Iceland.

The MEP said his visit has been authorised by the president of the Euro Parliament's Fisheries Committee, Carmen Fraga, thanks to his prominent role in highlighting the dispute over quotas, widely dubbed the ‘mackerel war’.

Officials from the European Commission will also be in attendance.

The mackerel dispute flared after Iceland increased its 2010 quota by 6,500%, from 2,000 to 130,000 tonnes, while the Faroe Islands have more than tripled their catch from 25,000 to 85,000 tonnes.

Combined with national quotas from Norway and half a dozen EU member states, this could see a third of the entire 2.6 million tonnes of mackerel in the North Atlantic killed in a single year, raising fears of substantial damage to the fishery.

Last week, Iceland admitted that it had already caught 75% of its inflated quota.

Mr Stevenson said: “Attending the conference will give me the chance to raise our concerns directly with Icelandic and Faroese ministers.

“I sincerely hope that we can resolve this dispute through negotiation, although given that Iceland has already admitted catching 75% of its massively-increased quota, extreme urgency is now required to prevent a catastrophe in mackerel stocks.

“I have argued throughout this dispute that we need to negotiate from a position of strength, using the possibility of a blockade of Icelandic and Faroese fishing boats as a bargaining tool just as Norway has done.

“Some have said this threatens jobs in Scotland, but Iceland and the Faroes have far more to lose, as their economies are heavily dependent on fishing. Of course, we will all suffer if the mackerel fishery is destroyed.

“I am more than willing to extend the olive branch, but they must know that we mean business.”

Commenting on the news that the European Parliament will be represented at the conference in Faroe next week, Scottish Fisheries Secretary Richard Lochhead said:

“I welcome the European Parliament's strong statement on the unacceptable overfishing of mackerel by the Icelandic and Faroese fleets. I will be writing to the Committee in advance of the meeting in the Faroe Islands to highlight our concerns and how this issue could impact on the Scottish fleet and Scotland’s fishing communities.

“I am working closely with Commissioner Damanaki and the UK Fisheries Minister to ensure a resolution is found. We cannot be held to ransom and I believe an early meeting between the European Commission and Iceland and the Faroes will be vital. We need everyone back around the negotiating table and to come to a reasonable agreement as soon as possible."


Scotland has the first large-scale mackerel fishery in Europe to be accredited by the Marine Stewardship Council. In 2009 the value to the Scottish economy of mackerel was £135 million – the fleet’s most valuable stock.