Breakdown in EU-Norway fisheries negotiations

Mackerel proves main sticking-point as the EU and Norway fail to agree fishing quotas for 2010.

Talks between the EU and Norway over fishing quotas for 2010 broke down on Tuesday evening.

According to Norwegian officials, disagreement over the rights of Norwegian vessels to catch mackerel in EU waters was the main reason for failing to reach an agreement. Earlier this year, the EU refused Norwegian boats to  catch migrating mackerel in EU waters, despite a 1994 agreement between the two sides.

The European Commission said that it would not comment on the breakdown, but has previously said that it does not agree it has breached the agreement and believes that Norway is trying to muscle into its part of the sea.

Lisbeth Berg-Hansen, Norway’s fisheries minister, said: “I am very disappointed by the EU’s lack of will to seek a mutually acceptable agreement for 2010.”

Although mackerel has been the chief difficulty in the talks, the two sides also failed to reach agreement on other issues such as fish discards – which Norway claims the EU has failed to address – and quotas for cod, haddock, herring and plaice in the North Sea and Skagerak.

Berg-Hansen, who described the EU’s attitude as “hostile” said that Norway was acting responsibly and used scientific criteria for deciding on fishing quotas in Norwegian waters.

A deal between two sides is now unlikely to be reached until next year.