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Danish Fisheries Minister Jacob Jansen has called on Norway for a fisheries agreement for the Skagerrak-Kattegat. Photo: DFPO
The Danish Minister for Fisheries, Jacob Jansen has called on Norway to negotiate and sign the Skagerrak-Kattegat agreement.
The Danish fishing fleet has been locked out of their traditional grounds in Norwegian waters since 01 January 2023 due to a lack of a fisheries agreement being reached between the EU and Norway. This has caused frustration for Danish fishermen as they believe their could either be a temporary arrangement put in place or the Norway could agree to treat their case separately from the EU negotiations.
It is not only the fishermen who are frustrated by the lack of agreement between the EU and Norway. It is reported today in the Danish fishing newspaper, Fiskeritidende, that Danish Fisheries Minister, Jacob Jensen also finds the situation deeply problematic saying “that Norway has shown itself to be very unfriendly in the negotiations on fisheries for 2023 – and that Danish fisheries have thus been taken hostage”.
“I am aware that this has major economic consequences for Danish fishing,” says the minister, after the chairman of the Danish Fisheries Association, Svend-Erik Andersen, has asked him to intervene in the matter.
The Minister has assured the Danish Fisheries Association Chief that he has done so.
“I have had meetings with both the EU’s fisheries commissioner and the Norwegian fisheries minister, where I have expressed my dissatisfaction with the lack of agreement. On the same occasion, I called for us to complete the negotiations as soon as possible and in an orderly manner. I have also urged the Norwegian minister not to block us from signing the already negotiated Skagerrak-Kattegat agreement,” Jacob Jensen states.
So far, Norway has refused to sign the Skagerrak-Kattegat agreement. They will only do so when all agreements are in place. It therefore requires continued EU pressure on Norway in order for the negotiations to progress – and for the deadlock situation not to play out year after year.
“Across the EU, there is a lot of attention to avoid a similar situation in the future, and within the EU a new strategy will therefore be sought for future negotiations with Norway,” concluded the Fisheries Minister.
