As the price of fuel is rising unexpectedly that affects fishermen the EU Commission has proposed aid focuses on assistance to skippers who stop fishing or modernise their boats with fuel-saving equipment, rather than offering cuts in fuel taxes which angry fishermen have been demanding. According to the Commission the proposed aid plan would help fishing fleets that were hit by rising fuel prices which have sparked protests from fishermen around Europe.
Fishermen have protested in several European nations to demand cuts in taxes to offset rocketing fuel prices. EU Maritime Affairs Commissioner Joe Borg told that the aid measures would help tackle the overcapacity and overfishing that are threatening fish stocks and fishermen’s livelihoods. Commenting on that Jaime Silva, Portuguese Minister for Agriculture, Rural Development and Fisheries expressed that a quicker restructuring of fishing programmes was necessary to reflect changes in oil prices and fishing capacity.
According to Silva the cost of fuel in fisheries is the main factor of production and this is a structural cost and it is a cost which has changed very rapidly. He also said that the current fishing capacity of the EU is excessive given the resources available and that increases in fuel prices will require quicker restructuring when compared to that of the programme of 2013.
