The Ministry says that this represents a 16.6% share of the total mackerel catch recommended by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) – or just 11.9% of the 1,240,000 tonnes recently decided by the EU, Norway and the Faeroes.

“Our 2014 mackerel quota supports Iceland’s efforts to preserve the mackerel stock, which should be the long term management goal,” says Sigurdur Ingi Johannsson, Minster of Fisheries and Agriculture.

Iceland has reiterated its disappointment at the recently signed five-year tripartite agreement on mackerel fisheries and the fact that it is not a full Coastal State agreement. “We were willing to negotiate our share as a part of a full coastal state agreement. We need to continue to work as partners, first and foremost to secure the sustainable utilisation of the mackerel stock with long term interests in mind. Iceland is, as always, ready to participate in a balanced arrangement based on scientific evidence,” adds Minister Johannsson.

In recent years Iceland's share of the total mackerel catch by the Coastal States (Iceland, the EU, Norway and the Faroe Islands) and Russia and Greenland has been approximately 16-17%. The Ministry says that the other three Coastal States have agreed between themselves quotas in 2014 amounting to 1,240,000 tonnes – significantly higher than the 890,000 advised by ICES. It says that the quota announced by Iceland will be equivalent to just 11.9% of the tripartite agreement or, as stated above, 16.6% of the ICES advice.