A study published by WWF at the beginning of the month said that subsidies provided by a number of EU countries to their fishing fleets were damaging competition, stocks of fish already under threat and the wider marine eco-system.

The study claims that the subsidies allow fishermen to stay at sea for longer and fish for longer periods, than if they had to meet the full cost of fuel themselves. Fuel is calculated to make up around 60% of the fishing boats’ operational costs, but the subsidy also allows fishing boats to continue using more destructive, less fuel-efficient forms of gear, it says.

The Mallaig and North-west Fishermen’s Association has campaigned for some time for fuel subsidies for Scottish boats, particularly since the sharp rise in fuel prices two years ago. John Hermse, secretary of MNWA, agreed with WWF’s contention that subsidies distorted competition. WWF highlighted the level of tax exemptions and direct grants given in other countries as a means of helping these boats to sell fish at lower prices and gain a stronger position in the market.

John Hermse said: “We have pointed out for years that fishermen in Spain, France and Portugal get huge fuel subsidies. I would agree that this gives them an unfair advantage and that is why they can afford to keep so many boats in their fleets and fish so far afield. Some of our members have been struggling since the most recent price hike, because fuel makes up the largest part of the fishing boats’ costs. We get nothing like the help these other countries give their own boats, but we have been making the case for some help to ensure that our boats stay in business.”

However, he criticised the main thrust of the WWF report, that fuel subsidies contributed to over-fishing. Mr Hermse said: “Their argument is totally vacuous. The fishing industry is an important sector of the food production industry, so it has every right to expect Government support. WWF are complaining about cheap fuel and the subsidies the industry gets. The help we get is very low and nothing like the agricultural food-producing sector gets. They appear to have a totally false perception of the fishing industry and seem to regard us as an easy target. They have approached us over the years to work with them on conservation issues, but how can we work with people who have no thought of the effect their pronouncements will have on vulnerable fishing communities.”

Mr Hermse added: “We could turn the argument on its head and ask how much of a subsidy does WWF and other conservation bodies get from the Government and its various conservation and environmental agencies? How many people have voted for these subsidies to be given and where would these organisations be without the generous handouts they get from the public sector? Then we could ask, what do these organisations actually produce for the benefit of vulnerable communities with the subsidies they get? All they seem to do is attack the fishing industry on which a lot of fragile coastal communities depend. Fishermen are struggling and fuel prices are one of the reasons. If the industry is to continue producing food, fuel prices will have to be addressed.”

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.

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