The government’s quota lapse method, which involves that those who are currently in possession of fishing quota give up a portion of it every year to a national natural resources fund, was debated in a symposium in the Westman Islands yesterday.
Fishing in Iceland. Copyright: Icelandic Photo Agency.
This proposal has spurred harsh reactions from fishing companies and coastal communities that depend on fishing, who argue that, if executed, the quota lapse will lead to a wave of bankruptcy.
Mayor of the Westman Islands Ellidi Vignisson demanded that the quota lapse method be removed from the government’s platform since the discussions of it alone had already begun to cause damages to the fishing communities, Fréttabladid reports.
MP for the Left-Greens Atli Gíslason, who participated in yesterday’s symposium, promised that if proven that the quota lapse method would have a negative impact on the country’s fishing communities, it will not be executed.
The representative of the other coalition party, the Social Democrats, MP Ólína Thorvardardóttir, reminded the attendees of the symposium of why the quota lapse method was being discussed in the first place: escape from the fishing industry with the subsequent damage to the coastal communities, which should be obvious to everyone.
Click here to read more about the quota lapse method.
