A new mackerel season is underway without a fisheries agreement on the distribution of mackerel, herring and cod between Norway and Great Britain being in place. Until Brexit at the end of 2020, Norwegian fishermen could follow the mackerel over to the British zone, where it grew big and fat. When this opportunity disappeared, there were reports of “a race” to capture large and small before the fish “ran away” to British waters. – Unfortunately, it is an indirect consequence of Brexit, said Fisheries and Seafood Minister Odd Emil Ingebrigtsen (H) at the same time last year. Since Brexit, Norwegian fishing boats are less welcome in British waters. – The fisheries minister must pick up the pace Norway and Great Britain entered into a “historic fisheries agreement” in December that the two can fish a limited amount of herring and other “bottom fish” across the other’s border. The new fisheries minister, Bjørnar Skjæran (Ap), announced at the same time that he would further develop fisheries cooperation with Britain. But despite intentions and repeated negotiations, an overarching agreement on mutual zone access has been delayed, and according to Fiskeribladet there is still “a long way to go before there is enough resolution”. British negotiators have been blamed for being rigid and not solution-oriented. While Norway has angered several neighboring countries by dictating its own mackerel quotas. – The Minister of Fisheries must pick up the pace, says FRP spokesperson for business policy, Sivert Bjørnstad. He adds that “the situation is indefensible” and that “everyone loses from it”: – Both nations, the fishermen in both countries and not least the mackerel population in the long term. This can have very serious consequences. Fisheries Minister Skjæran met his British colleague, Victoria Prentis, for talks in June. They agreed to continue with the negotiations later this autumn, with the hope of reaching an agreement by next year. Fisheries and Oceans Minister Bjørnar Skjæran (Ap) answers – The mackerel stock is managed by the coastal states of Norway, the EU, the Faroe Islands, Greenland, Iceland and Great Britain, and there is an agreement on a total quota of 794,920 tonnes for 2022. The coastal states have still not agreed on distribution of the mackerel stock. This has led to more mackerel being caught than is considered optimal. The scientific advice shows that the mackerel population is on the way down. I take that very seriously. We have therefore planned extensive negotiations with the other coastal states throughout the autumn. Norway’s position in the negotiations is to ensure a fair allocation of quotas and mutual zone access. – Important negotiations remain, but this meeting was a good start, says Fisheries and Oceans Minister Bjørnar Skjæran. Photo: Emil Bremnes/NFD – Want to go beyond the stock In its August leader, Fiskeribladet wrote that the current situation provides an incentive for overfishing on the Norwegian side of the border to compensate for poorer market prices for immature mackerel and other young fish. – Danger on the way Jon Olaf Olaussen, professor of social economics at NTNU – It is surprising that an agreement is still not in place. When several countries have an incentive to fish for too much and too little mackerel (Norway and the Faroe Islands), and all countries set higher quotas than recommended by ICES, then there is danger afoot. Even if one were to be lucky and avoid population collapse, it is still a miserable social economy. Both the stock and the price will be lower than optimal and the potential of the stock is thus not being exploited. An agreement will benefit all parties in the long term, which is why it is so surprising that this is still not in place. Seen from the outside, it seems here that a deadlocked negotiation situation has arisen, I hope they get out of it quickly. Today’s situation serves neither the mackerel population nor the fishermen in the long term, so it is necessary to get it in place. Geir Huse, director of research at the Institute of Marine Research – It is challenging that we do not have an agreement between the coastal states on the pelagic stocks that graze in the Norwegian Sea: mackerel, Norwegian spring-spawning herring and coal mullet. This creates challenges for the fishermen in carrying out the fishing and, not least, it means that much more is fished than the recommended quota. One consequence of this is that NVG herring (spring-spawning herring) and cod are overfished according to the latest stock assessment by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES). The mackerel population is also in decline as a result of the strong fishing pressure. It is therefore important that the coastal states agree on the distribution of quotas so that we ensure sustainable exploitation of these stocks. “If this continues, it will affect the stock. Maybe you don’t notice it the first year, or the second year, but when the collapse is a fact, it can take a long time to rebuild a stock, if it is possible at all,” warns Fiskeribladet. – I think the leader of Fiskeribladet aptly describes the situation for mackerel fishing, and is in accordance with the feedback I have also received from the industry, says Olve Grotle, who is fisheries and aquaculture policy spokesperson in Høgre. – Confident that the fisheries minister will continue working Erling Sande, parliamentary representative for Sp – It is important for the country and the fishing industry that we have mutually good agreements on the fishing resources in the sea area around Norway. The agreements that have been concluded show that it is possible to reach such agreements with Great Britain, and I am confident that the Minister of Fisheries will continue to work on getting agreements in place also for the remaining fishing species where this is relevant. For Western Norway as a region and for the fishing industry, the fisheries agreements will be important for the framework conditions. But of course there must be balanced agreements that are beneficial for both countries. Kåre Heggebø is the leader of the Norwegian Fishermen’s Association. He calls it a “broken situation”, for which he considers an “unresponsive” and “challenging counterparty”, i.e. Britain, responsible. – Norwegian fishermen have not voted for Brexit. Then it seems unfair that they have to pay for it. He firmly rejects that Norwegian fishermen in a time crunch are tempted to take in more fish than is good. – It is wild speculation. Norwegian fishermen take care of Norwegian quotas. It is best if the fishing is not too “concentrated in time” In recent years, a large part of the Norwegian mackerel quota has been fished in the British zone, but the picture may change. In 2017, 70 per cent of the mackerel came from the Norwegian zone. The mackerel is usually at its best in September. But this year, as last year, the fishermen will have an incentive to take him up in August, before he “disappears” over to the British side. The size of the herring and “resource biological conditions” have been used as arguments against Great Britain during the negotiations. The reasoning is that both countries have a mutual interest in the fishing not being too “concentrated in time”. Before Brexit, Norwegian fishermen could take up 60,000 tonnes of herring in the British zone. Now they are limited to a “herring frame” of 17,000 tonnes. A new mackerel season is underway without a full fisheries agreement between Norway and Great Britain in place. Photo: Benjamin Fredriksen / news – Åleine gang that backfires on all parties – There is reason to be uneasy, says Norwegian parliamentary representative Alfred Bjørlo. He puts the responsibility for the situation on “Britain alone.” – Through Brexit, they chose to be selfish rather than stand up for long-term cooperation in Europe. Now it backfires on all parties. It should be a strong warning to the Center Party about the consequences of opting out and cultivating short-term vested interests. Then nature and natural resources are among the losers. Audun Maråk is the leader of Fiskebåt, which organizes the sea fishing fleet. In December, he stood – on pragmatic grounds – behind the provisional solution with Great Britain, because the alternative of no agreement was worse. Now he says that Britain is “trying to pass the bill for Brexit to Norwegian fishermen by closing their own zone for Norwegian mackerel fishing”, and that this is a breach of the provisions of the agreement they accepted before Christmas. He adds that the main problem is nevertheless that Iceland, Greenland and Russia have started an “irresponsible” and “Olympic fishing” for mackerel in international waters that is not sustainable. – The solution is to establish legitimate and rightful quotas, combined with mutual zone access, he says.
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Brexit creates full mackerel quarrel with Britain – news Vestland
