MEPs on Parliament’s Fisheries Committee have discussed the plight of the EU fishing fleet. They listen to the representatives of the fishing industry about the pressure the industry is under with fuel up 40 per cent since January. Earlier the Parliament had passed a resolution calling on more state aid to be afforded to Europe’s fishermen. The mebers also approved a resolution supporting the fishermen and suggesting ways to help the beleaguered industry.
The members have called on the European Commission to reconsider it rules of state aid (outlawed by EU law) and allow a maximum of €100,000 of aid per boat rather than by fishing company. At present this ceiling of possible aid for fishing companies only. It is said that the cost of fishing have risen by 320 percent and since January this year the cost of landing fish has jumped by 40 percent alone. Guy Varnaeve, a representative of “Europeche”, an Association of national organizations of fishing enterprises outlined the specific nature of the industry. According to him all boats run on diesel and the constant need for more fish (and therefore revenue) forces them to travel ever greater distances.
Vernaeve welcomed the proposals by the Commission to enforce stronger fines for illegal fishing and plans to treat it as a criminal offence. He also praised some European Union members for providing social support for the fisheries industry. French MEP Philippe Morillon (ALDE) noted that these short-term measures cannot solve the basic problems in the sector. Ramiro Otero – President of the ETF (Fédération européenne des Travailleurs des Transports) called for a long-term European strategy and the use of the EU’s structural funds to help the sector.
Spanish Conservative Carmen Fraga Estévez (EPP-ED) told that there is no money to restructure the sector and the EU member states do not want to pay. She also informed that there is nothing new about this crisis. Many proposals of the Commission actually come from the European parliament.
