Iceland May Not Have To Surrender Fishing Rights For EU Membership
It is beginning to emerge that Iceland may not after all have to surrender her fishing grounds or fish stocks to foreign predators as an exchange for European Union membership. Joining both the EU and the euro currency was suggested recently as offering the only ‘durable solution’ to Iceland’s economic problems, and a major hurdle was overcome recently when the government agreed to compensate the British and Dutch for the four billion euros lost after the collapse of its banks.
Iceland’s foreign minister, Ossur Skarphedinsson recently told Brussels that under no circumstances will the country’s territorial waters be completely opened up to foreign fishermen – and this seems to have been broadly accepted.
Negotiations will get under way next year and there will be pressure, probably from the Spanish, Portuguese and French for Iceland to relax its strong opposition to a foreign trawlers fishing in its waters.
Reykjavik is expected to impose strict and conditions a wholesale surrender of fishing rights is not on the cards. Such a move would be almost certainly rejected in a referendum if it was ever seriously proposed.
There is also general recognition that the current Common Fisheries Policy, which is about to undergo a fundamental review, has been a total failure. By 2013 the current quota and discards policy is almost certain to be replaced by days at sea restrictions.
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