The Scottish fishing industry has welcomed the unanimous vote by the European Parliament Fisheries Committee in support of trade sanctions against countries that engage in unsustainable fishing practices.
It is hoped that the resolution at the meeting on 24 April will ease the way for the introduction of trade sanctions by the EU against Iceland and the Faroes in response to their “massive” unilateral quotas for mackerel.
In particular, Scots fishermen have welcomed the support by Fisheries Committee to widen the scope of application of the trade sanction measures to include all fish and products, which will considerably enhance the effectiveness of any future sanction measures. After a plenary vote in the European Parliament on this resolution scheduled for June this year, the European Council will then give its opinion on the proposed sanction measure.
Bertie Armstrong, chief executive of the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation, said: “This is an important step in ensuring that a meaningful package of sanction measures is brought forward against Iceland and the Faroes. Both countries must be brought to task for their unsustainable fishing practices and made to realise that such actions will not be tolerated by the responsible international fisheries community.”
