Fishermen’s Mutual Association manager William Hughes said the escalating cost of oil was so crippling that skippers could not afford to go to sea.

Fuel costs, he said, were on average 33% higher than they were in 2007, while the selling price for langoustine had remained the same.

He said: “ Fishermen who have been earning considerably less than the minimum wage for a 70-hour week are now tying up their boats because to go to sea means creating debt, not earnings.”

The East Neuk's historic and once thriving fishing fleet is now concentrated around a fleet of 30 prawn boats based at Pittenweem, Fife’s main fishing port.

Mr Hughes said the situation was serious and added. “ We are going to be left with no fishing industry shortly because of the cost of fuel. I have guys here who over the last 12 to 14 weeks have been averaging a pay of £150-£160 a week.”

While some industries are able to deal with escalating fuel bills by passing the increase onto customers, Mr Hughes said that was not an option open to fishermen.

“A haulier can add a surcharge to the bottom of his invoice but a fishermen has to take the hit because there is no way he can ask for 12% more for his prawns or lobsters.”

Fishermen are facing a further threat, Mr Hughes pointed out, from EU legislation which, if endorsed by the Council of Ministers, will allow foreign fleets to catch any UK quota left uncaught by the home fishing fleet.

Following a meeting with local MP Sir Menzies Campbell on Thursday to discuss the crisis, Mr Hughes has called on the Scottish Parliament to act now to preserve the future of Pittenweem and other coastal communities as fishing villages.

He said: “ To be a fishing village or not to be a fishing village rests solely on the price of oil. Something must be done to support our fishing fleet through these extremely difficult times. If there is true belief within the Scottish Parliament that historic fishing villages must be kept alive then let them act now, act decisively and act on fuel.”

After the meeting, Sir Menzies Campbell said: “ I share the concerns about current problems being faced by the Pittenweem fishing fleet. “For the cost of oil to be so high that boats cannot go to sea is deeply disturbing.

“I intend to take up the issue of the future of the village - based fishing industry with Richard Lochhead the Scottish Fisheries Minister.”

www.fishupdate.com is published by Special Publications. Special Publications also publish FISHupdate magazine, Fish Farmer, the Fish Industry Yearbook, the Scottish Seafood Processors Federation Diary, the Fish Farmer Handbook and a range of wallplanners.

Printer friendly version

Email this article to a friend