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EU Fisheries Commissioner, Franz Fischler, announced a €611 million aid plan for the fishing industry on Wednesday but was immediately met with hostility from Scottish fisheries leaders who branded the scheme "irrelevant."
According to Mr Fischler's proposal, much of the funding will be channelled towards helping fishermen cope with the consequences of stock depletions and to switch to other employment sectors. "We have the moral obligation to do all in our power to avoid the disappearance of fisheries resources on which fishermen and their families depend," said the Commissioner.
Hopes dashed
But the Scotsman newspaper reports that any hopes that the plan could help Scottish coastal communities cope with the current cod crisis have been dashed by the fact that the funds are only available through the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP).
The UK is only entitled to 7 per cent of current fisheries funding, while Spain walks away with the largest share at 46 per cent, it says.
Cod crisis
Scottish fishermen have recently been thrown into turmoil by the threatened closure of the white fish industry in the North Sea next year. Franz Fischler has not yet ruled out the possibility of a complete white fish ban to prevent the collapse of the cod stock. This would have devastating consequences for many Scottish, Irish and Danish fishermen. Fisheries leaders have warned that it would decimate the Scottish fleet and lead to the loss of up to 20 000 jobs.
Chief Executive of the Scottish Fishermen's Federation, Hamish Morrison, said that the Commission's plan was irrelevant to the current cod crisis. "It is a dangerous side show. It would work only if there was any prospect of the UK getting any money," he said.
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