The case in summary: The European Commission is threatening sanctions against Norway, which they believe is overfishing mackerel. Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide has started negotiations with the European Commission to avoid these sanctions. The EU proposed in September to introduce a separate regulation, which gives the opportunity to take measures against countries that do not cooperate on the sustainable management of shared fish stocks. The consequences for Norway, if we do not reach an agreement with the EU, could be an import ban for cod and mackerel, and that Norwegian fishing vessels are not allowed access to ports in the EU. Norway, Great Britain and the Faroe Islands have entered into a joint agreement on mackerel fishing, which the EU has chosen to stay outside. Irish fishermen have expressed frustration with Norway’s fishing practices, and accuse Norwegian fishermen of fishing small mackerel outside Western Norway in order to be able to show larger catches in future negotiations. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAI. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. The European Commission is threatening Norway with sanctions against the Norwegian fishing industry, if Norway and the other coastal states outside the EU do not accept a joint agreement on mackerel and cod with considerably higher quotas for the EU. This causes the manager of Fiskebåt, Audun Maråk, to react. – Someone should remind us that Norway is a trusted supplier of energy to the EU, where we produce to ensure the EU’s needs to avoid a crisis in the industry. At the same time, they threaten us with sanctions against Norwegian fisheries in order to push forward larger quotas. To avoid conflict between the EU and Norway, Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide (Ap) was in Brussels on Friday, for a meeting with the EU’s acting fisheries commissioner and vice-president of the European Commission, Maros Sefcovic. The aim is to agree on a negotiation track before getting serious about introducing sanctions against Norway. – It was a useful and constructive meeting. These are complicated questions and here both parties must be willing to meet each other if we are to succeed in finding an agreement. My mission is to safeguard Norwegian interests in the best possible way, writes Barth Eide in an e-mail to news. If there is no agreement, the consequences for Norway could be an import ban for cod and mackerel, and that Norwegian fishing vessels are not allowed access to ports in the EU. The European Commission proposes comprehensive measures against overfishing: The European Commission has proposed introducing EU fisheries regulation 1026/201, which deals with measures to preserve fish stocks in cases where countries allow unsustainable fishing. These regulations give the EU the opportunity to take measures against countries that do not cooperate on the sustainable management of shared fish stocks. Such measures may include import restrictions for fish from countries that fish in a non-sustainable way, restrictions on the use of EU ports for vessels from these countries, and bans on joint fishing activities between EU fishing vessels and vessels from countries that allow non-sustainable fishing . The regulations are intended to ensure that fish stocks are maintained at a level that allows maximum sustainable yield and that all countries that share the fish resources cooperate in managing them in a responsible manner. Source: The European Commission’s announcement on 9 September 2024. Believes it is an unfair practice – EU fishermen have for years been exposed to unfair and unsustainable practices from countries outside the EU, particularly Norway, which has repeatedly disregarded European fishing rights. This was stated by Daniel Voces, the head of the EU’s trawler fleet “Europêche” on 26 September, after a meeting with the European Commission in which Norway had a central place in the programme. Earlier that month, the European Commission decided to recommend strong sanctions against countries outside the Union, which they believe do not relate to sustainable fishing. Audun Maråk heads Fiskebåt, which is the large coastal fleet and the sea fishing fleet’s interest organisation. Photo: Mathias Sommerseth Kjellmo / news According to European fisheries media, the decision will make it easier for the commission to implement specific measures against these countries, and pressure them to cooperate. In the European fishing industry, this is seen as a sign that the EU is escalating the conflict with Norway in negotiations on fishing quotas, and that this is an implicit warning to Norway about what will happen if we do not accept. Irish fishermen furious at Norway Irish fishermen feel that they are losing access to traditional mackerel fishing in British waters, since Norway and the British have agreed on mutually exclusive rights to mackerel fishing. Since this summer, the Irish have aimed hard at Norway, which they believe is fishing for small mackerel in Norwegian waters in order to be able to show larger catches in future fisheries negotiations. Ciaran Doherty, head of the largest Irish fishing organization KFO, was unkind to the Irish fishing media at the end of September. – What is happening in Norwegian and international waters with intensive fishing for small catches of low-quality mackerel defies logic. – I understand that Irish fishermen are frustrated with the EU’s fisheries policy, since Brexit made them worse off as fishermen, says Maråk. Irish fishermen believe that large quantities of the mackerel fished along the coast of the West Country are produced as flour and oils, rather than for human food. – The mackerel Norwegian fishermen catch goes to human consumption, emphasizes Maråk. Fact check: In the turnover statistics from the Sildelaget, 314,000 tonnes of mackerel were delivered in Norway in 2023, to a value of NOK 5.5 billion. Of this, 35,000 tonnes of mackerel were produced for oil and flour. Researchers from ICES believe that overfishing by coastal states such as Norway, Great Britain and the Faroe Islands has brought the mackerel population around the British Isles and in the North Sea closer to collapse. Mackerel agreement without the EU In June, Norway, Great Britain and the Faroe Islands entered into a joint agreement to fish mackerel in each other’s sea areas, and the size of the national quotas for the next three years. Norway has gained acceptance for a larger share of the mackerel fishery than before, after the mackerel have moved northwards in line with the warming of the sea. At the same time, the EU has chosen to stay outside the agreement. This is because Norway has demanded a larger share of the mackerel fishery than before, and wants to reduce the EU’s share after Brexit. Since the agreement does not include the EU, the marine scientists have defined the management of the mackerel stock as “not sustainable”. Audun Maråk believes the EU should take part in the agreement, instead of standing outside. – There is no basis for the EU to introduce sanctions against Norway since the agreement between the coastal states reduces the total take of mackerel, Maråk believes. Mackerel fishing has a value of between NOK 4 and 5 billion for Norwegian fishermen. Here is the fishing boat Havdrøn fishing for mackerel in 2019. Photo: Roar Bjonesøy Northeast Atlantic mackerel have their primary spawning grounds around the British Isles and the North Sea. In line with global warming, the distribution area is shifting northwards. The researchers have recommended a cut in the mackerel quotas of 22 percent from 2024 to 2025. The stock of cod in the North Sea has collapsed in recent years. The North-East Atlantic cod population, which spawns on the coast of Northern Norway, is in sharp decline. In the Barents Sea, researchers propose that quotas be cut by 31 percent. In the North Sea, researchers recommend a cut of 15 percent. Conflict over cod, mackerel and seafood In a letter to the European Commission last Friday, the organization for pelagic trawlers in the EU writes that they expect a stronger diplomatic effort towards Norway in the future. “We also call on the European Commission and the Council of the European Union to act decisively against this irresponsible behavior using market forces and other instruments at its disposal,” they state in the letter. Audun Maråk believes the conflict is the result of unresolved problems that arose after the British withdrawal from the EU. At the same time, Norway had to transfer parts of the EU’s fishing quotas for cod, among other things, to the British, who had greater historical rights than other EU fishermen. In addition, disagreements over control of the sea areas around Svalbard and lower mackerel and cod quotas have worsened the situation. Marianne Sivertsen Næss (Ap) has let the foreign minister take care of the negotiations with the EU, which cover more areas than just fisheries. Photo: Gunnar Sætra / news – It is important that Norway gives a clear message to the EU Maråk believes that Norway should not allow itself to be pressured. – I have no faith in the EU introducing such sanctions against Norway. Norway’s demands in the quota negotiations are well anchored in professional documentation. It is important that Norway gives a clear message to the EU that we do not find ourselves in this situation. In an email on Friday afternoon, Fisheries and Oceans Minister Marianne Sivertsen Næss writes that it is natural for Norway to assert its own interests in the face of the EU’s demands. – The EU is a close partner in fisheries and a number of other areas. In the hope of finding a solution to the matter, the dialogue between Norway and the European Commission has been intensified since this summer, writes Næss. At the same time, she feels that there is hope to resolve the conflict before the situation becomes deadlocked. – A number of meetings have been held at both official and political level, and the dialogue has been constructive. Published 11.10.2024, at 16.41 Updated 11.10.2024, at 17.24
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The EU accuses Norway of overfishing and threatens sanctions – news Troms and Finnmark
