Faroese government risks MSC certification with extra fishing days

The Faroese government plans to add more fishing days to the national quota system later this year to address a shortfall for coastal vessels, according to a statement by Fisheries Minister Bárður á Steig Nielsen in response to parliamentary questions.

Marita Rasmussen, director of the Faroese Marine Research Institute, and Durita í Grótinum, director of Faroe Islands Sustainable Fisheries (FISF), warned that this move violates the 2021 adjustment plan and could jeopardise the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification, potentially costing access to key markets.

The current system allocates a set number of fishing days to each vessel group, with adjustments of up to five percent based on stock conditions. The 2021 plan was introduced to depoliticise quota decisions, which previously sparked frequent disputes in the Løgting (Faroese parliament).