Minister to recalculate fishers’ quotas due to errors

Denmark’s Fisheries Minister, Jacob Jensen of the liberal Venstre party, intends to improve oversight of the Danish Fisheries Agency and the country’s fishers following serious fishery-related cases. Jensen announced recalculating fishers’ quota shares and increasing supervision over the Fisheries Agency’s management of quota concentration rules. Two main issues have emerged: excessive quota concentration with too many quotas held by a few fishers and beneficial treatment of mussel fishers, potentially at the environment’s expense, by having larger engines than permitted on their vessels. The minister expressed dissatisfaction with the inadequate controls by the Fisheries Agency and committed to implementing measures to address these faults. Furthermore, he plans to discuss the situation with colleagues in parliament. The Agency’s director, Kenneth Joensen, also recognized inadequate follow-up on significant issues within the agency, expressing regret and promising serious consideration of the matter.