Carmichael to meet UK fisheries minister to discuss Norwegian fishing activity in UK waters
ISLES MP Alistair Carmichael has been offered a meeting with fisheries minister Stephen Morgan to discuss the dispute over the amount of fish Norwegian trawlers take from UK waters.
A row has broken out between both sides when the Shetland Fishermen’s Association (SFA) expressed their frustration with the scale of Norwegian fishing in UK waters.
It comes at a time when officials from North Sea and North East Atlantic coastal states are starting the annual talks to set catch limitations and quota allocations for the following year.
While acknowledging that no laws had been broken, the SFA’s executive officer Daniel Lawson highlighted how the Norwegian trawler Havstrand had been able to land 787 tonnes of saithe at Ålesund, caught from one fishing trip in waters around Shetland.
Lawson called for urgent action from all governments involved to address the imbalance of fishing activity in each other waters.
‘Puzzling criticism’ – Norwegians deliver robust response to SFA concern
He said the 70-metre Havstrand caught in one trip around 50 per cent of the saithe quota allocated to Shetland boats, and 12 per cent of the entire Scottish quota.
Owner of the Havstrand, Janne Grethe Strand Aasnæs meanwhile disputed the figure quoted and insisted that her vessel had every right to fish in UK waters, and he crew did so within the regulations.
Managing director of the Norwegian fishing vessel owners’ organisation Fiskebåt, Audun Maråk, said his industry was operating “in accordance with the agreements concluded with the UK.
“Fisheries cooperation and the regulations that have been in place have remained stable,” he added.
“Norway and the UK are important allies when it comes to managing fish stocks, both in the whitefish and pelagic sectors.”
Each country is currently permitted to catch up to 30,000 tonnes of whitefish in the other’s waters.
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However, in 2025 Norwegian vessels caught 22,581 tonnes of whitefish in UK waters, compared with just 9,496 tonnes caught by UK vessels in Norwegian waters, according to data provided by the SFA.
Raising the issue in the House of Common on Thursday Carmichael called for a debate on the challenges facing the UK fishing industries.
Citing the case of the Havstrand, the Orkney and Shetland MP said: “This is not a new problem – I have complained about the imbalance between UK and Norwegian boats for a long time – but surely it demonstrates that if these problems are not addressed, they will become urgent, as this one has done.”
Responding for the government, Sir Alan Campbell MP said: “I believe that the best way forward for the right hon. Gentleman is to make his case directly to ministers.
“He could wait for environment, food and rural affairs questions, which I think are next week.
“If he wants a longer and greater opportunity to do that, I will arrange for him to meet the fisheries minister.”
Carmichael added: “We are quickly heading into another critical period for the catching sector with year-end negotiations just weeks away.
“It is vital that we bring pressure to bear so that ministers sit up, take notice and prioritise fishing communities in these negotiations.
“Our fishing industries need a fair hearing in parliament and within government. I shall be pursuing these matters further in the coming weeks.”
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