The Icelandic Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture has appointed Sigurgeir Þorgeirsson, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, to head Iceland''s team of negotiators during mackerel talks.
Negotiations on quotas so far have not yet met with success, but the Ministry says that Iceland underlines its determination to reach an agreement, provided it is legitimate and major interests as a coastal state are given due and fair consideration.
Until 2010, Iceland was refused admission to the negotiating table, despite requesting to be included in discussions on the division of the harvest rights to the mackerel stock.
In addition to Iceland, Norway, the Faroes and the EU will meet at the negotiating table, together with Russia. The Icelandic team will include representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Fisheries and Agriculture and the vessel operators, who will in addition be advised by experts from the Marine Research Institute. The team is also authorised to seek additional specialist assistance as needed.
A substantial portion of the annual mackerel runs are within the Icelandic EEZ. Large quantities of feed are consumed by the mackerel from the biosphere in Icelandic waters during its stay of several months, and the Ministry says a there is now reliable evidence available that mackerel are both spawning and maturing in Icelandic jurisdiction.
