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EU chief's £400m aid plan for cod crisis attacked
The Scotsman
7th November 2002
Frank Urquhart
furquhart@scotsman.com
FRANZ Fischler, the European Fisheries Commissioner, was yesterday accused of muddying the waters in the crucial debate over the proposed cod ground closures by announcing £400 million of European Union cash to help coastal communities affected by the stocks crisis.
Mr Fischler said he wanted the money, already available under the EU's fisheries budget, to be switched from fleet renewal and modernisation to counter the socio-economic impact of depleted stocks.
However, any hope that some of the funds could be used to help the Scottish industry and fishing communities cope with the consequences of the cod crisis evaporated when it became clear that the commission's action plan is being mooted as part of the ongoing reforms of the Common Fisheries Policy.
Britain is only entitled to 7 per cent of current fisheries funding while southern states get the lion's share, with Spain entitled to 46 per cent of the total.
Hamish Morrison, the chief executive of the Scottish Fishermen's Federation, said the plan was irrelevant to the current cod crisis and would only serve to divert attention away from the drastic catching cubs facing the Scottish fleet.
He said: "All this is doing is muddy the waters. It is a dangerous side-show. It would work if there was any prospect of the UK getting any of the money . But we can forget about that."
Mr Fischler said the plan had been formulated in response to the potential social, economic and regional consequences of restructuring the fishing industry caused by the "dire" state of the stocks.
He said: "We have a moral obligation to avoid the disappearance of the fisheries resources on which fishermen and their families depend."
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