New measures against irresponsible fisheries of herring and mackerel

Norway seeks comprehensive and balanced agreementsboth concerning Norwegian spring spawning herring and mackerel. We are ready to continue the negotiations, but at the same time we support additional measures against irresponsible fisheries. 

- Norway’s primary concern is to achieve sustainable and fair agreements through negotiations. Norway has a strong commitment to continue constructive negotiations, but we find that unrealistic positions by the Faroes, and equally so by Iceland concerning mackerel, have resulted in the present situation, says Norway’s Minister of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs, Lisbeth Berg-Hansen.   

- Norway introduced a ban on landings of mackerel from Icelandic and Faroese vessels as early as 2010, and I have over the last years had extensive talks with Commissioner Damanaki. I am pleased that the EU now introduces a ban on imports of herring and mackerel from the Faroe Islands and I fully support the actions taken by the EU, says Berg-Hansen, who congratulates Commissioner Damanaki on her work on this difficult issue.

- We will introduce a ban on landings of herring from the Faroe Islands if the Faroe Islands in 2013 should exceed their traditional share of the herring quota, says Norway’s Minister of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs.

To ensure that Norway’s and the EU’s measures together have the intended effect, we will implement appropriate measures to prevent that Faroese exports are routed through Norway.