|
THE way European fishing aid is doled out to various countries and companies has come under a twin-pronged attack from two leading environmental groups.
Greenpeace has claimed in a new report that some Spanish fishermen suspected of landing illegal catches are receiving multi-million-euro payouts from European Union taxpayers.
And in a separate allegation the organisation Oceana says that the EU is paying millions of pounds and/or euros to landlocked countries that have no fishing fleets of their own.
Greenpeace says that European Commission officials are investigating subsidy payments to a group of companies from Galicia, which are thought to have received more than 15 million euros in subsidies between 2002 and 2009, part of which come from the European Fisheries Fund to which the UK contributes.
It says companies connected to the family continue to receive subsidies despite alleged links to repeated incidents of illegal fishing. The report says at least seven of the vessels have been convicted for offences, including fishing without a licence, falsifying information and obstructing inspections.
This report will give opponents of EU fishing aid and the generous way in which is distributed further strength in their calls for EU reforms, especially reform of the Common Fisheries Policy.
Ariana Densham, a Greenpeace oceans campaigner, has described the current system as "broken" because it encouraged illegal fishing and contributed to the decline of fishing stocks.
"The fact that in Europe this theft of fish is being subsidised by taxpayers' money, that we're paying pirates to steal our fish, destroy one of our oldest industries and devastate the marine environment, shows just how corrupted the CFP is," she added.
Following the reports, Fisheries Commissioner Maria Damanaki stated: "The serious allegations are already under investigation by the European Commission and being followed up with the Spanish national authorities. We are establishing all facts in order to pursue breaches."
Meanwhile, the group Oceana claimed at the weekend that landlocked Austria, Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic shared more than £20 million in a single year even though they landed no sea caught fish.
Thirteen other countries, including Germany and Finland, received more in subsidy than the value of their catches, and environmentalists say this is helping to destroy stocks.
Anna Schroeer of Oceana said the current policy was having a devastating environmental legacy. “They are promoting the race for the last fish,” she said. “Without subsidies, when a fishery gets overfished it doesn’t make sense for the crews to go out because the costs are higher than the value of their catch. So they would stay ashore until the stocks recover. With subsidies this healthy effect is gone so the fishermen go out when the stock is completely overfished."
The EU argues that fishing aid does not just go to coastal fishing fleets, but also to areas involved in fish farming and fish processing which have facilities based in these landlocked countries.
Should people be 'stimulated' to eat white fish alternatives to cod?
