EU offers aid to restructure fishing

The European Commission today offered a lifeline to fishermen – but ruled out fuel subsidies or higher catch allowances to ease the current economic crisis.

The move came in response to fears that more and more fishermen will join port blockades across Europe in protest at high marine diesel costs and limited fish quotas.

Fisheries Commissioner Joe Borg issued a statement emphasising he understood the problems and would act.

He said rapid cash aid was available for legitimate restructuring of the fisheries sector to make fleets more efficient.

But fuel subsidies would be illegal, and permitting higher fish catches to help boost fishing incomes would simply speed the decline of severely depleted fish stocks.

“I am very aware of the acute difficulties that the European sector is currently facing, and have seen for myself the effects it is having on fishermen” said Mr Borg.

He insisted the difficulties faced by the EU fisheries sector were rooted in a mismatch between the size of the fleet and the sustainable level of fishing possibilities – too many fishermen chasing too few fish.

But he admitted the problems had been seriously compounded by a massive 240% increase in marine fuel prices since 2004.

He went on: “I remain convinced that there is a future for European fisheries, but only if member states, the sector and the Commission work together to create a smaller, more fuel-efficient fleet that is better matched to fishing possibilities.

“We are monitoring the situation very closely and looking for ways to work with the sector to overcome the serious problems they are now facing to better enable them to undertake the necessary restructuring.”

However, Mr Borg warned: “False solutions, however, cannot be the way forward. Higher quotas, as some have called for, would be completely counterproductive, serving only to further endanger the stocks that fishermen depend on.

“Fuel subsidies, besides being illegal, would do absolutely nothing to deal with the underlying problems. On the contrary, they would serve only to perpetuate the problems of the sector and make the crash even greater when it comes.”

A Commission study two years ago of EU fishing prospects made clear that operating aid or fuel subsidies were not an “appropriate or permissible” response to high fuel prices, given that oil prices were likely to stay at a high level.

But it said national fishing fleet rescue and restructuring plans would help the sector adjust to rising prices and the continuing problems of fisheries conservation.

The Commission has for years encouraged fleet size reductions, offering aid to decommission vessels and cash support to help crews seeking retraining for other work.

At the same time annual fish catches have been strictly limited to help conserve dangerously depleted stock and key catches such as cod.

Mr Borg said the Commission now stood ready with short-term aid programmes in the form of reimbursable loans for up to six months, and he was prepared to review the European Fisheries Fund (EFF) to offer more targeted investment cash to update fishing vessels “at this difficult time”.

That could include cash support for fuel-efficient replacement boat engines and for less fuel-intensive fishing gear.

National cash aid for fishing fleets, generally ruled out as illegal state aid to industry, can be allowed if it is used for restructuring schemes “restoring a better match between capacity and fishing possibilities”, said today’s statement.