The Scottish mackerel sector has warned that it will be at a disadvantage again as Iceland and the Faroe Islands continue to gain ahead of next year's Total Allowable Catch (TAC) which will be attended by representatives from the EU, Norway and the Faroe Islands.
The announcement came after the meeting between the representatives of mackerel fisheries from the EU, Norway and the Faroe Islands which agreed to the TAC in 2015.
TAC, aimed to set catch limits for most commercial fish stocks, decides the tonnage of mackerel the combined fisheries are allowed to catch for the year from January next year.
Recently, a new agreement had given the Faroe Islands access to fish 29% of their own mackerel quota in Scottish waters which was a much higher tonnage than under the previous arrangement.
The decision had left Scottish fishermen disappointed as it allowed the Faroese to catch a much higher tonnage of their own allocated mackerel quota in Scottish waters than before.
Scottish Pelagic Processors Association (SPPA) chairman Ian McFadden said: "While responsible measures by the EU and Norway have ensured we have a sustainable mackerel stock, we are increasingly disadvantage in the global market.
"Earlier this year we saw the Faroe Islands take a much bigger share of the mackerel quota than expected, while also winning the right to fish in Scottish waters when mackerel is in premium condition."
SPPA has asked politicians and representatives in industry to address these unfair trading conditions.
Last month, European Fish Council in Luxembourg decided to allow Scotland to roll over 25% of mackerel quota to 2015, Under Current News reported.
Image: Mackerel processing is worth over £324m to the economy and supports around 2,260 jobs per year. Photo: courtesy of Stoonn/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net.
