Three days of talks began on Tuesday between the EU, Norway, Iceland and the Faroe Islands to solve the ongoing mackerel dispute.
Following the conclusion of talks, Scottish Fisheries Secretary Richard Lochhead said: "I am pleased to hear that these talks have been constructive, with all parties engaging fully in the process. Inevitably there are a number of difficult issues to address, therefore it is not surprising that the situation has not been resolved within three days. Indeed, a second round of talks has always been planned.
"What is critical is that these talks ultimately result in a new deal, which is fair for Scotland and protects the mackerel stock in the long term.
"The situation with blue whiting acts as a stark warning to all parties as to what can happen if we do not get an agreement. We have seen the decimation of that stock following years of overfishing due to the absence of an international agreement."
No Progress Made In Mackerel Talks
EU - A second round of crisis talks on mackerel quotas has been planned, as the first round held this week in London, failed to make any progress.
