Iceland fishing industry opposes renewed EU accession talks

Icelandic fishermen would vote decisively against European Union membership, according to a report by AFP published by mbl.is ahead of Saturday’s referendum on whether to resume accession talks.

The referendum is not on EU membership itself, but on restarting negotiations that were suspended in 2013. Fishing rights are one of the main disputes in the debate.

Jón Atli Gunnarsson, captain of the Gullberg VE fishing vessel, told AFP that Iceland’s fishing industry was a foundation of the national economy and an inseparable part of the country’s identity. He was eight when Iceland prevailed in the final Cod War with Britain, and said he could not accept handing the EU fishing rights that Iceland had fought hard to secure.

Cod Wars remain part of the debate

In Vestmannaeyjar, the position has long been clear, according to the report: the answer is no, even though voters are only being asked whether to restart talks.

“Our people fought for these 200 miles around Iceland,” Gunnarsson told AFP while the Gullberg was moored at the quay. “We are somewhat afraid that if we join the EU, we will have to give up something we fought so hard to achieve.”

Iceland and Britain clashed in the Cod Wars between 1958 and 1976. Iceland gradually extended its fishing jurisdiction to protect its fish stocks, leading to confrontations with British fishermen and the Royal Navy.

“Of course people still think about the Cod War with Britain,” Gunnarsson said.

Fishing for cod, herring, capelin and haddock played a major role in building Iceland’s wealth. Marine products now account for nearly 40 percent of the country’s goods exports, according to the report.

Cod has been part of Icelandic identity for centuries, far beyond its commercial value. It was once featured on the country’s symbols, and its image remains on some Icelandic coins.

Concerns over common fisheries policy

Iceland’s fishing industry is described as emphasising sustainable management of fish stocks, its ability to support numerous coastal communities and its capacity to prosper without the extensive government subsidies received by some European fishing operators.

“My main concern regarding joining the EU is becoming part of the union’s common fisheries policy,” Sverrir Haraldsson, head of international affairs at Vinnslustöðin, told AFP.

He said Iceland would no longer control annual catch limits and that foreign companies would have considerably greater freedom to invest in the country’s fishing industry.

To address these concerns, the government has pledged to demand in any potential negotiations with the EU that Iceland retain “full control over our fisheries and their management”. The government says Iceland must continue to be able to set and allocate its catch limits and maintain restrictions on foreign investment.