Plea over emergency aid to Northern fishermen BreakingNews.ie_763

[0225ml46]

Plea over emergency aid to Northern fishermen You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login
Emergency aid should be granted to Northern fishermen facing the losses of their livelihoods under official fishing restrictions,You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login, the DUP said today.
MEP Jim Allister said British government compensation worth tens of thousands of pounds would stave off threatened catastrophe for those who harvest cod, whiting,You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login, sole and haddock.
For 10 weeks this spring up to eight boats will be tied up in an effort to preserve dwindling stocks.
“The whitefish sector is in dire straits, made worse by further savage quota cuts,You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login,” he said.
“Already the fleet is a mere fraction of its former size. The sector urgently needs a sign of tangible support.
“Many believe there is an agenda in government to totally liquidate the whitefish fleet. Granting tie-up aid would send a powerful signal of government support.”
The cuts were introduced amid pressure from the European Commission for steps to boost the struggling fish population. There were increases in prawn, plaice, hake,You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login, mackerel and monkfish fishing quotas.
Northern Ireland Fisheries Minister David Cairns has hailed the agreement as a victory for prawn fishermen.
Mr Allister added: “After last year’s debacle and a positive effort by the minister (David Cairns) in Brussels before Christmas, tie-up aid would go a long way towards showing the department of agriculture truly cares for the industry and sees a future for the whitefish sector.”
Dick James from the Northern Ireland Fish Producers’ Organisation said there needed to be a radical rethink of fish conservation methods.
“In 1999 we had 44 boats and today we have got about eight and I fear that we could be losing those by April if something isn’t done,” he said.
“The first stage is for some aid but the whole regulatory burden being placed on us has to be looked at.
“Nobody likes claiming subsidies but we just want to fish.”
He blamed global warming for the declining stock and added that previous tie-up schemes had failed to reverse the trend.