The mackerel fishing quota will be issued for one year at a time but not for six years, according to an amendment to the mackerel quota bill presented by Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture Sigurður Ingi Jóhannsson in response to a petition protesting the bill.
Sigurður originally suggested an amendment cutting the six-year quota to three years but the three-year quota was equally disputed among parliamentarians and the public: 51,000 people have signed the petition protesting the mackerel quota bill on thjodareign.is, RÚV reports.
The mackerel fishing season has begun; the minister issued a regulation on the distribution of the quota last week. Fisheries companies are seeking new markets for the product in Asia.
