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Veiðin úr deilistofnum er 30% af verðmæti aflans
Verðmæti úthafsafla úr fiskistofnum eins og loðnu, síld, kolmunna, karfa og grálúðu sem einnig veiðast utan íslenskrar lögsögu eru rúm 30 % af útflutningsverðmæti sjávarafurða og skiluðu um 37 milljörðum króna árið 2001. Við aðild fengi ESB rétt til að semja fyrir hönd Íslendinga um þessar veiðar og myndi skammta íslenskum útgerðum kvótum úr þessum fiskistofnum. Við höfum afar slæma reynslu af samskiptum okkar við ESB á þessu sviði, sbr. ósvífni ESB gagnvart Íslendingum varðandi kolmunnaveiðar.
Kvótahoppið felur einnig mikla hættu í sér
Auk þess er helsta aðferð Spánverja til að komast yfir veiðikvóta annarra ríkja ekki kvótaúthlutun heldur kvótahoppið, þ.e. kaup á skipum í öðrum ríkjum. Skipið er þá skráð í landi fyrri eigenda en afla landað í heimalandi nýrra eigenda. Þegar eru um 20% breskra fiskiskipa í eigu Spánverja og Hollendinga. Bretar hafa ákaft reynt að hindra að kvóti þeirra hoppi þannig úr landi - án árangurs.
Since the EU states have no fishing history here
would they be allocated quota?
The principle within the EU is that the fishing vessels of all member states have equal access to common fishing grounds outside the twelve-mile zone, and that fishing stocks do not belong to coastal states, but are regarded as common to the EU. If Iceland were a member of the EU, the EU would have the deciding voice in the management of the fisheries off Iceland's coast, between the 12-mile and 200-mile lines. Attempts are often made to convince the Icelandic public that it will be possible to negotiate exemptions from the common fisheries policy for Iceland, which will retain exclusive rights to the fishing grounds off Iceland. The argument is that the EU nations have no recognised fishing history on Icelandic fishing grounds, and hence would be allocated no quota in Icelandic waters. The EU Council of Ministers, which allocates fishing quotas to member states, would thus allocate the entire quota to Iceland.
What appears to have been forgotten here is that the most influential of the EU member states are precisely the same nations that fished in Icelandic waters for centuries, i.e. Britain, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and Spain. Throughout the first half of the 20th century, their fishing vessels ventured right up to Iceland's coast in search of catches. Some of them did not leave the fishing grounds until 1976, after three "Cod Wars." These nations will have a crucial influence upon the interpretation of "fishing history" in Icelandic waters.
The Spaniards' principal method of gaining access to other nations' fishing quota is not by allocation of quota but by quota "hopping," i.e. by purchasing fishing vessels in other countries. The ship is registered in the original country, but the catch is landed in the country of the new owner. Already about 20% of British fishing vessels are Spanish- or Dutch-owned. The British have made tireless efforts to prevent their quota "hopping" out of the country in this manner - but without success.
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