A ban on imported fish from Iceland and the Faroe Islands moved a step closer after the European Parliament voted in favour of legislation yesterday.
The vote represents a major milestone in the efforts of the European Commission – which proposed the legislation last year – to pressure Iceland and Faroe to stop what it claims is unsustainable fishing of the lucrative North East Atlantic mackerel stock.
The new law gives the Commission the authority to impose restrictions on imports of any fish caught by countries practicing non-sustainable fishing of jointly fished stocks. Even though the EU’s main gripe concerns mackerel, it could seek to ban imports of Icelandic and Faroese cod, haddock and other species into the EU.
Although applicable to any country deemed to be fishing unsustainably, the regulation was drawn up with Iceland and the Faroes in mind.
News of the vote was welcomed by EU fisheries commissioner Maria Damanaki, who said lucrative unsustainable fishing would always be tempting for some. But the EU could not afford to let any country outside of the EU nullify its fishing industry’s efforts and conservation work, she said. “This instrument gives us the means to prevent that.”
The decision must still be rubber-stamped by the Council of Ministers before taking effect.
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