Members of the Scottish pelagic industry say that they have been dealt another blow after the Faroe Islands signed a Free Trade Agreement with Turkey.
The agreement comes after recent bi-lateral talks between the EU and the Faroe islands broke down without a downward adjustment to Faroese mackerel being fished in European Union waters being made. The Scottish industry said puts them at a competitive disadvantage in global markets.
Ian McFadden, chair of the Scottish Pelagic Processors Association (SPPA), said: “It’s another devastating blow to the Scottish pelagic industry. The Faroese Prime Minister, Kaj Johannessen’s, statement that the deal will allow Faroe to compete on equal terms in the Turkish market with Scotland is utterly untrue. Scotland is well and truly excluded from that market thanks to a 50% tax on all mackerel imports from EU countries.”
Faroese vessels continue to be permitted to fish a staggering 39,824 tonnes of premium mackerel in EU waters in 2015, the vast majority of which is caught in Scottish waters.
Adding smoke to the fire are the punitive tax measures imposed by the Faroese Government which mean that none of this Scottish mackerel is being landed at Scottish ports.
Scotland's pelagic industry it is already feeling the effects of the Russian import ban with Faroe not being included in the sanctions by Russia further displacing Scotland in the market.
The SPPA said it will continue to call on the UK and Scottish Governments to push for the re-negotiation of the EU-Faroe Islands bi-lateral agreement.
