The Scottish Pelagic Processors Association (SPPA) is calling on the British Frozen Food Federation (BFFF) to bar Faroese seafood companies from its membership.
This call is in response to Faroe Seafood, part of Bakkafrost, the largest producer of farmed salmon in the Faroe Isles, re-joining the BFFF.
The Faroe Islands have declared a 145% increase in their quotas of Atlanto-Scandian herring for 2013, while other countries fishing this stock agreed to each take a 26% decrease from their 2012 quotas, to help reverse the decline in the stock.
As a result, a formal application for immediate sanctions on all imports of Atlanto-Scandian herring caught in Faroese waters is currently being considered by the European Commission.
SPPA Chairman, Ian McFAdden, said: “I am alarmed the BFFF has accepted a membership application from Faroe Group when there is an ongoing high-profile dispute with the Faroe Isles.
“Farmed salmon produced in the Faroe Isles is fed on fish meal produced from mackerel, herring and trimmings from processing these fish, which means that, through BFFF’s new member, Faroese mackerel and herring will enter the UK food chain. Surely that should be avoided.”
He said he has written to the BFFF and is calling for the organisation to withdraw Faroe Seafood’s application in support of British mackerel and herring.
