Current open flouting of the EU North Sea mackerel quota by Icelandic and Faroe Islands boats may have a "serious backlash" upon both Scottish and South West mackerel fishermen.

A "Mackerel War" between Scottish and Icelandic midwater fishermen recently erupted after the Faroe Islands (a Danish territory which is not bound by EU rules) set itself a mackerel quota of 85,000 tons, quickly followed by Iceland awarding itself 130,000 tons.

With Iceland positioning itself to join the EU, UK fishermen see that move as Iceland's way of gaining a "plucked out of the air" track record in order to seize a sizeable chunk of the mackerel quota once inside the EU.

At first the conflict led to Scottish fishermen blockading a Faroese trawler and preventing it from landing its £400,000 catch. The Scottish/ Icelandic clash continues and is likely to persist until the actions of the Icelandic government are resolved.

South West inshore hand line fishermen now support deep-sea Scottish mackerel fishermen who operate on huge midwater trawlers and account for one third of all Scottish landings (their annual catch fetching around £135 million). Such a David and Goliath unity may add to the Scots' ammunition to put an end to the Mackerel War.

"If the Icelanders achieve what they want to achieve, and as a result the UK mackerel quota is slashed, then we as well as the Scots will suffer," said David Muirhead, secretary to the South West Hand Line Fishermen's Association (SWHLFA).

"What the Icelanders are doing is absolutely appalling, and doing that unilaterally may easily lead to a serious threat to the North Sea stock, so I personally think the Scots have done the right thing by boycotting any landings of Icelandic mackerel."

Westcountry fishermen's leader Jim Portus agrees and told the Western Morning News how South West fishermen are "infuriated". He said that, prior to 2006, Iceland landed very little mackerel, and added: "The Icelandic government, through its fishermen, is attempting to create an artificial track record. Their action discredits Iceland and makes a mockery of its ambition to join the EU, and their fishermen are being hoodwinked because they want nothing to do with the EUs Common Fisheries Policy, one they would have to abide by when joining the EU."