Allister lashes DARD over fishing fuel crisis
28 May 2008
ALLISTER LASHES DARD OVER FISHING FUEL CRISIS
Speaking from Brussels on the European-wide fuel crisis affecting the fishing industry, TUV MEP Jim Allister strongly criticised the local Minister at Stormont. Highlighting that Minister Gildernew has been deaf to the desperate pleas of local fishermen and has failed to avail of an EU sanctioned aid of €7,500 per boat, without any question of state aid arising. The local Minister could make this pay out from DARD funds, but has stubbornly refused to do so.
Elsewhere in Europe local and national governments are doing what they can to help their fishermen, but, sadly, not in Northern Ireland. Having driven our whitefish fleet to the wall, it now seems DARD is indifferent as to whether our fishing industry survives. All Minister Gildernew has proffered our fishermen is a miserly £276 per boat for navigation aid costs.
In terms of the EU Mr Allister called on the Commission to radically increase the 20% aid available for providing more efficient engines in fishing boats. He also renewed his call to the Commission to ring-fence some of the legendary under-spend in the Fisheries Budget to set aside specific aid to alleviate the fuel crisis.
ENDS
