The boss of Fiskebåt which represents the Norwegian fishing fleet is urging nations to put aside their differences and reach an agreement on mackerel quotas.
Chief executive Audun Maråk and chair Jonny Berfjord are appealing to the governments of the UK, Faroe Islands, Greenland, Russia, Iceland, Norway and the European Union to ‘leave the battlefield and ensure a healthy mackerel stock’.
Despite best intentions, says Audun Maråk, the mackerel stock is not managed sustainably in the North-East Atlantic and this lack of agreement has led to overfishing by nearly a third from 2006 to 2020.
“There have always been major challenges in managing border-crossing stocks, as they change their migration patterns,” said Audun Maråk. “Whether global warming, stock size or feeding is the reason for changes in the mackerel migration in the North-East Atlantic, it is likely that there will be similar conflicts in the future,” he said.
Stop prioritising short-term gains
“It is not the time to prioritise short-term economic gains, but rather show an example to the world that we – in the North-East Atlantic - manage to communicate and cooperate, and therefore regulate and harvest our stocks in a sustainable way,” he continued.
Mr Maråk said that the agreement in 2014 between Norway, the EU and the Faroe Island would not have been possible without significant contributions from Norway.
“We gave away rightful shares, in order to find a solution,” he said. “Access to each other’s waters was an important part of the solution, so that we could harvest more efficiently, with lower costs and less pollution,” he said.
Zonal attachment
Zonal attachment is a natural criteria for allocating shares of a fish stock between coastal states, argues Mr Maråk. “The mackerel’s zonal attachment to Norway and the UK are high. There is little mackerel in waters off Iceland, and no mackerel in waters off Greenland and Russia,” he said.
“This is the reason why they harvest mackerel in international waters, and at levels far beyond what can be justified from the occurrence of mackerel in their own economic zones,” he continued.
“We are all responsible for the mackerel stock in our waters. This is why the EU, UK, Faroe Islands, Greenland, Russia, Iceland and Norway all need to contribute, engage in compromises and accept some defeat in this matter,” he said.
“We urge all the negotiating parties, especially the EU, UK and Norway, to reach an agreement in the following weeks. This is how we – together – can ensure a healthy mackerel stock for our future generations,” he concluded.
