|
18 January, 2010
SCOTTISH fishermen’s leaders yesterday (Sunday) said they
were confident this weeks crucial negotiations between the
European Union and Norway over North Sea quotas would reach
an agreement.
The talks were stalled last month leaving the EU unable to
set North Sea whitefish quotas at the annual December
fisheries council meeting.
Three separate rounds of talks failed to reach agreement,
forcing the EU to put in place interim fisheries management
measures for commercially vital species such as cod, haddock
and whiting.
Yesterday the Scottish Fisheries Federation said they
believed there was a good chance that a deal will be
achieved with Norway at negotiations that start in Brussels
today (Monday)
The optimism follows an agreement reached on Friday between
the EU and Faroe on |
shared stocks, which
include a reduced transfer of blue whiting quota to Faroe
and a rollover for most whitefish quotas.
EU negotiators also held their ground on access arrangements
for the Faroese to fish for mackerel in EU waters until
there is a full coastal states agreement, with the next
meeting due to reconvene in March.
Norway and Faroe have also reached their own separate
agreement on shared stocks, further fuelling optimism that a
deal with the EU will be hammered out in Brussels this week.
SFF president Ian Gatt said: “We are fairly confident that
an agreement between the EU and Norway will be reached this
week, which will hopefully bring to an end the current
period of uncertainty over the final quota levels for 2010.
It will also enable Scottish boats to gain access to
Norwegian waters and vice versa.”
|
