The Faroe Islands, population just under 50,000, are being threatened with economic sanctions by the European Union. Although under the Danish crown the Faroes have complete autonomy and are not part of the European Union. Fish make up 95 percent of their exports and the fishing industry amounts to fully twenty percent of the GDP. The territory has increased the quota of mackerel that Faroese boats can catch and now Brussels wants to starve them into submission with a threat not to allow fish to be exported from the Faroes into the EU. To her eternal shame, Scotland has sided with the EU over this, obviously forgetting that is the country becomes independent then Edinburgh may very well want to control her own waters in the interests of her own fishermen, which is all that the Faroes are trying to do.
Hopefully the Faroes government will find new markets for the fish that the EU will soon no longer buy. Hopefully also people will rally behind this rather brave small nation as is stands four square against the bullies from Brussels.
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