Risky for Iceland to Join the EU
EU Policy Means Iceland Could Lose Exclusive Fishing Rights
Nov 28, 2008
Should Iceland join the European Union? The battered Iceland currency coupled with the collapse of it’s banking system has generated a reassessment of the pros and cons of joining the EU.
Panel to Discuss Iceland Joining the EU
According to David Ibison writing in the British newspaper, Financial Times, of November 15 2008, the Prime Minister Gair Haarde, will now set up a panel to discuss joining the EU. This is a change of heart for the leader of the Independence Party, who has always opposed European Union membership.
However, if Iceland had already been an EU member, it would not have suffered such severe financial ruin. Being part of a group of 27 nations dedicated to economic co-ordination would certainly offer benefits.
Risk to Iceland's Fishing Industry
The downside is that under the terms of the EU Common Fisheries Policy all European Union fisherman have equal access to the waters of other member states.The Icelandic fishing industry would lose their hard won exclusive fishing rights.
Iceland may have mismanaged their banking sector and be in the grip of a severe credit crunch but they have managed their fishing stocks well. The Iceland fishing industry has avoided over-fishing and continues to enjoy abundant waters. By contrast those EU member states with coastlines, now find themselves with severely depleted fishing stocks due to irresponsible over exploitation. Icelandic waters must look tempting.
Historical Control of Iceland Fishing Stocks
Iceland's history of defending its fishing stocks stretches back to 1893 when they were ruled by Denmark. They claimed a 13 mile fishing limit. In 1972, Iceland extended its territorial fishing waters to a 50 nautical mile exclusive fishing zone surrounding its shores, and fiercely defended them with gunboats. Intruders risked having their nets slashed and having their ships rammed by these Icelandic gunboats.
4 years later, Iceland unilaterally extended its exclusive fishing control to a 200 nautical mile limit. This was in sync with a general movement which was being thrashed out at United Nations conferences on the Law of the Sea.
The British government was in favour of the fishing limits but felt that Iceland had no right to enforce them before they became law. As a result British fisherman faced conflict over this oceanic territorial claim. This became known as the cod wars. Eventually Britain and Iceland negotiated under mediation of the Secretary General of NATO and agreed a quota of 24 British trawlers which were allowed a catch of 50,000 tons annually.
Iceland Won Eclusive Fishing Rights
6 years later, in 1982, an international agreement was reached at the 3rd UN Convention on the Law of the Sea allowing all countries with coastlines to enforce a 200 mile exclusion zones. Iceland was vindicated.
This hard and bitterly won exclusive control of Iceland's fishing stocks will have to be given up if they join the European Union.
Change in Iceland's Support for Joining the EU
50 years ago, Iceland's fishing industry was probably 100 percent of the Icelandic economy. More recently tourism in Iceland has expanded with a rise in winter vacations and whale watching, whilst fishing has accounted for almost three-quarters of the island’s exports. (Other exports are aluminium, ferro-silicon alloys, machinery and electronic equipment for the fishing industry, computer software and woollen goods.)
This fiercely independent nation has seen a change in public opinion from the wavering 50% who might have supported EU membership a year ago. The Financial Times newspaper states that around 70% of the population of Iceland now supports initiatives to join the European Union.
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