Minister keeps 750-day fishing proposal despite widespread opposition

Kringvarp Føroya reports that Fisheries Minister Bárður á Steig Nielsen is standing by a proposal to give boats in fishing group 5B an additional 750 fishing days this year, despite almost all respondents advising against it.

The proposal has been criticised for departing from the current management plan and fishing rules. Opponents warn that it could increase pressure on demersal fish stocks, put MSC certification at risk and create unequal treatment between vessel groups.

They have also argued that the shortage of days in group 5B should be addressed by changing the fishing-day system rather than through a special allocation.

Nielsen said the measure would be a special, time-limited solution for the 2026 fishing year. He said the situation was unusual because unused fishing days transferred from 2024 to 2025 were not used, as the authorisation was approved too late in the 2025 fishing year.

The minister said the proposal would not change the existing system for setting fishing days under the Marine Resources Act. Work will continue on reviewing the conditions for group 5 and the current management plan and fishing rules.

The proposal will receive its first reading in the Faroese Parliament on Wednesday. According to Vørn, the Faroese fisheries authority, one fishing day remains for group 5B. The group had 3,344 days when the year began, and its boats were instructed to stop fishing at 13:00 on Saturday.