Optimism about EU/Norway talks

SCOTTISH fishermen’s leaders yesterday (Sunday) said they were confident this weeks crucial negotiations between the European Union and Norway over North Sea quotas would reach an agreement.

The talks were stalled last month leaving the EU unable to set North Sea whitefish quotas at the annual December fisheries council meeting.

Three separate rounds of talks failed to reach agreement, forcing the EU to put in place interim fisheries management measures for commercially vital species such as cod, haddock and whiting.

Yesterday the Scottish Fisheries Federation said they believed there was a good chance that a deal will be achieved with Norway at negotiations that start in Brussels today (Monday)

The optimism follows an agreement reached on Friday between the EU and Faroe on shared stocks, which include a reduced transfer of blue whiting quota to Faroe and a rollover for most whitefish quotas.

EU negotiators also held their ground on access arrangements for the Faroese to fish for mackerel in EU waters until there is a full coastal states agreement, with the next meeting due to reconvene in March.

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Norway and Faroe have also reached their own separate agreement on shared stocks, further fuelling optimism that a deal with the EU will be hammered out in Brussels this week.

SFF president Ian Gatt said: “We are fairly confident that an agreement between the EU and Norway will be reached this week, which will hopefully bring to an end the current period of uncertainty over the final quota levels for 2010. It will also enable Scottish boats to gain access to Norwegian waters and vice versa.”