In Chairman’s Report-2008, NFFO mention the growing challenges that the fishing industry is facing and the ups and downs of its economy. The report stressed that in recent years the fishing industry have been dwarfed by the scale of the crisis brought about by the dramatic increase in fuel costs. It is said that as primary producers who, in the main, sell their product through the auction system, fishing vessels are uniquely vulnerable to the rise in fuel costs.
According to the report fishing industry have no scope to pass on higher costs down the supply chain through some kind of surcharge. It is for this reason that fishing vessels across the fleet have faced a viability crisis. There is no doubt that the fuel crisis has meant a period of intense Federation activity in which some other issues have had to take a back seat for the time being. In these circumstances the NFFO has argued for a package of support that will help the fishing industry top recover what it has lost in this crisis.
In the report some recommendations has been made for the benefit of the fishing industry such as recognising the immediate viability crisis facing many fishing vessels; providing fishing enterprises, through an enhanced and adapted European Fisheries Fund, with options to adapt to the new economic realities – or to leave the fleet through decommissioning.
It also said that the fishing industry support is provided evenly and equally across the European fleets in a way that does not distort competition and in particular does not leave the UK fleet, or any part of it, at a disadvantage. Besides, there are other different issues that have been addressed in the report. An appeal has been made to the European Commission for the taking strict steps and for announcing support packages.
