Although 80 percent of the UK and Irish fishing industry is based in the inshore sector (as is the case throughout most of Europe), one cannot ignore the pelagic sector and the farcical goings on in regard to the stalemate situation involving the European Union and Norway on one side and Iceland and Faroe Islands on the other.
While it is understandable that those in the inshore sector may care little for the problems of the ‘big boys’, a certain amount of sympathy must be afforded to a pelagic industry who has worked hard in swallowing many mackerel quota cuts over the years to now see Iceland and the Faroes reap the benefits.
Put rather simply, what has occurred is that the EU and Norwegian pelagic fleets have, over the past decade and longer, worked in co-operation with the European Commission to carefully manage the North Atlantic mackerel stock - not only ensuring Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY) but also building new markets...
