By Nick Morrison
Hirta is a Fisheries Protection vessel pictured here berthed in Kirkwall.
The crew were hoping to spend Hogmanay in Kirkwall but an agreement between the EU and the Faroes has meant that the Faroese come into UK waters to fish for mackerel.
Agreement Between the Faroe Islands and the EU 2018
Mackerel
3.2 The Delegations agreed to grant reciprocal access for 2018 to one another’s waters as follows:
- The European Union is granted access to fish 30,877 tonnes of its 2018 catch limit in Faroese waters
- The Faroe Islands are granted access to fish 30,877 tonnes of their 2018 catch limit in EU waters of ICES Sub-area 6a north of 56* 30’N1
The Hirta will leave port at 07.00 Hrs to monitor the situation , so spare a wee thought for the crew.
Here it is worth pointing out that one of the key UK representatives on the EU Fisheries committee is a certain Mr Farage! He has only attended ONE out of 30+ meetings up to the Brexit Referendum, so it would appear that any UK and in this case mostly Scottish interests were probably not even considered.
So Scottish fishermen appear to have been sold down the river By Westminster yet again.
See also: The Faroes: Self Governing Islands