Funds found for fish

Europe’s fishermen got extra cash for new fisheries committees, after talks amongst farm ministers on Monday.

Six Regional Advisory Councils (RACs) have been given the all clear to set up from Brussels, in the EU’s latest bid to sort out its ailing fishing industry.

The RACs will each get €250,000 for their first year of operation, with decreasing funding for a further four years, falling to €110,000 in the fifth year.

This is up from a maximum of €100,000 a year originally offered by the European Commission.

The councils are seen as an important step towards convincing disenchanted fishermen that in fact Brussels is listening to them.

Irish fisheries minister Dermot Ahern said on Monday it was important to “remove the sense of isolation and distance that many fishing communities… feel about the decision-making machinery in Brussels.” 

“The industry is broadly supportive of these new structures because they address what has been seen as a fundamental weakness – the lack of communication between fishermen, scientists and environmental interests.” 

The EU fishing industry did seem to welcome Monday’s progress on RACs, with Hamish Morrison of the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation saying its most important effect would be on “morale”.

“The councils will address the terrible feeling of disempowerment among fishermen, who think their ideas are not being listened to.”

“They need a forum in which their ideas can and will be brought into play.”

“We would like to have at least the North Sea RAC up and running in time for the major decisions that are taken in August – for example on fish stock assessments.”

But he cautioned that it would “not be easy” to get the necessary staff and structures in place quickly.

Morrison added that for fishermen the news was just “the start of a process rather than an objective achieved.”

“We are still very keen ultimately to have the RACs converted into full blown management committees.”

“But this is an essential first step.”

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