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Nicholas Watt, political correspondent
The Guardian
23rd December 2002
Tony Blair is to hold emergency talks in the New Year with the leaders of Britain's fishing industry after the government signed up to the harshest ever quota cuts.
A package of emergency measures, worth up to £50m, will be on the table at the discussions which will probably take place in Downing Street soon after the Christmas break.
The prime minister is likely to face a frosty reception at the talks after the government agreed to slash cod catches in the North Sea by 45%. Catches of haddock and whiting in the same waters will be cut by around 50%.
Conservationists, who warned that cod stocks are in danger of being wiped out altogether, said the deal hammered out after five days of negotiations in Brussels did not go far enough.
But fishing leaders warned that the cuts would devastate their communities, particularly in the northeast coast of Scotland. They warned that 20,000 jobs could be at risk because fishermen will only be guaranteed nine days a month at sea.
Neither Downing Street, nor the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, would comment yesterday on the compensation package which would be on offer. But it is understood that fishermen will be offered what one official called "realistic but not generous" compensation.
The government will offer to buy out the business of fishermen who are badly affected by the Brussels deal. This would involve buying their boats and other key assets of their business. Training will also be offered.
The European commission originally wanted to reduce cod catches by 80% amid concerns that North Sea stocks were virtually extinct. Franz Fischler, the European commissioner for agriculture, rural development and fisheries, said the choice was between savage cuts now to give cod stocks time to recover, or no fish at all in future.
While ministers in London remained quiet, their counterparts in Scotland spoke of their worries. Jack McConnell, the Scottish first minister, and Ross Finnie, the fisheries minister, are to hold talks with fishing leaders today to discuss the effect of the cuts.
Mr Finnie promised that a sensible financial package would be made available for the industry, although he declined to say whether this would be as much as £50m.
"We want to explore whether there are any other opportunities that have not been previously explored in terms of trying to utilise European funding," he told BBC Scotland. "This problem has emanated from a very serious European decision. "One hears the European commission talking in glib terms about how there is always funding available so we would want to explore every avenue to see whether that it’s true."
Amid criticism that the negotiations were led by the London-based fisheries minister, Eliot Morley, Mr Finnie defended the handling of the talks by the Westminster government.
Mr Finnie, who was part of the British delegation in Brussels, said: "We have done our very, very best in the face of absolutely unremitting opposition to there being any opening of the North Sea following the scientific advice," he said. "That was a position that was adopted by the commission and regrettably also by the majority of the member states.
"Even the deal we got was being bitterly criticised by among others the German delegation for being too soft. That is not a position I held and I still do not hold that position."
But John Swinney, the leader of the Scottish National party, said that Mr Finnie had not done enough to stick up for Scottish fishermen.
Announcing that he is to call for the Scottish parliament to be recalled, Mr Swinney said: "Ross Finnie must tell us whether he objected to the UK voting in favour of the wholesale destruction of our fishing fleet. Did he sell out on a deal that will throw thousands on to the dole or was it a case of the UK overruling Scotland?"
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