The European Union's fisheries chief has warned that Iceland's bid to join the bloc could be damaged by an escalating "mackerel war" over fishing rights in the northeast Atlantic.
Cash-strapped Iceland began talks to join the EU in July, after the collapse of its banking system persuaded it to seek the financial security of European Union membership.
But the island of 320,000 people has also increased its catch of Atlantic mackerel, which have started swimming further north than usual, bringing it into conflict with fishermen from Scotland, Ireland and Norway, who operate within quotas.
The confrontation "risks impacting negatively on the forthcoming accession negotiations between the EU and Iceland", European fisheries chief Maria Damanaki wrote to Stefan Fuele, the commissioner in charge of EU accession.
"There is no justification for the escalating levels of the Icelandic fishery," Damanaki wrote in last month's letter, seen by Reuters on Tuesday.
The Federation of Icelandic Fishing Vessel Owners says Iceland has the right to fish as it pleases in its own waters, and only raised its catch limits after unreasonable behaviour by the EU in fishing negotiations.
The row recalls the "cod wars" of the 1970s, in which naval vessels and British and Icelandic trawlers clashed over access to then-bountiful cod stocks.
Scottish Fisheries Secretary Richard Lochhead said mackerel's reputation as one of the ocean's few sustainably managed fish was being threatened.
"This issue transcends diplomatic relationships or regional rivalries because the very future and sustainability of global mackerel stocks is at stake," he said.
WARMER WATERS
Warmer temperatures have caused migratory mackerel to swim further north than ever before, creating a valuable new fishery for Iceland. Environmentalists say such conflicts for resources will become increasingly common due to climate change.
Iceland unilaterally raised its fishing quota for the silvery-blue fish to allow its fishermen to catch 130,000 tonnes, compared to a traditional catch that the EU estimates at 2,000 tonnes.
Meanwhile, the Faroe Islands, 300 km north of mainland Scotland, has more than trebled this year's mackerel quota from traditional levels to 85,000 tonnes.
Scotland's struggling fishermen are angry and last week blockaded a Faroese boat from landing its catch in the Scottish port of Peterhead.
"The impact is huge, 90-95 percent of earnings derived from my fleet is derived from mackerel," said Ian Gatt, chief executive of the Scottish Pelagic (oceanic) Fishermen's Association.
"Last year, earnings from Pelagic catches were 135 mln pounds ($208 mln) for Scottish vessels and you take that out from the Scottish economy and you've got one big hole," he said.
Norway has also banned Icelandic and Faroese boats from landing mackerel, and says it suspects the countries of trying to create leverage for future quota negotiations.
The European Union's executive Commission has warned that this year's catch levels could be 20-40% higher than is sustainable, saying the situation is "anarchic".
Scotland's Lochhead agreed on Monday to work closely with Damanaki to pressure Iceland, saying "No options are off the table".
