NEAFC outlines Russia's mackerel quota 2008
Taking into account the Coordinated Report on the results of mackerel fishery consultations of the coastal states (EU, Faroe Islands and Norway) signed in Oslo on 30 October 2007, NEAFC has been recommended to approve the mackerel TAC 2008 within the national jurisdictions at 385,366 metric tons.
The sides have agrees that a part of the above TAC can be harvested on the fishing grounds beyond the national jurisdictions. According to articles 5 and 6 of the Convention, the sides have come to the following agreement:
- Mackerel TAC beyond the sides' national jurisdictions in the subareas of ICES IIa, V, VI, VII and XII is set at 43,629 tonnes;
- The above TAC is set with respect to guarantees of compatibility of regulation measures taken by all the coastal states. In this connection, the European Economic Community, the Faroese Islands and Norway have informed NEAFC that the mackerel TAC of 385,366 tonnes has been approved for fishing operations in 2008 and a part of the above TAC can be harvested in the areas according to article 1.
- According to clause 1, the mackerel TAC 2008 in the areas should be distributed as follows:
Denmark (Faroe Islands+Greenland) | 18,814 tonnes |
European Economic Community | |
Norway | |
Iceland | 1309 tonnes |
Russian Federation (including the amount handed over to the country according to article 4) | 23,506 tonnes |
Total | 43,629 tonnes |
- The coastal states have agreed to hand over to the Russian Federation 3000 tonnes of their united quota. The amount of the quota handed over to Russia will be gradually decreased and brought to zero by 2010 at the latest.
- The approved quotas can be harvested within the fishing areas under the national jurisdictions of the sides.
- In the years to follow the TAC (according to article 1) will be set depending on the condition of the total mackerel stock.
- According to clause 3, the quotas will also be set depending on the situation. The shares of the sides are defined as follows: the total share of coastal states with the access to mackerel grounds amounts to 50%, the share of the Russian Federation is set at 47% and Iceland at 3%. The total share of coastal states is shared between the sides as agreed.
Russia's total mackerel quota in the Northeast Atlantic for the coming year 2008 will be defined after the Russian-Faroese fishery consultations presumably by the beginning of December 2007.
In the recent years the Russian fishermen were allowed to harvest 7500 tonnes in the Faroese zone. According to provisional figures, potential Russian harvest of mackerel in the Norwegian Sea in the year 2008 is expected at more than 30,000 tonnes, ca.8-9% down on 2007 when it amounted to 31,976 tonnes.