European Parliament backs fair prices for fleet

Plaid Cymru MEP Jill Evans has welcomed a resolution adopted today (Thursday) in the European Parliament calling for solidarity with fishermen at a time of rising fuel costs. The resolution calls for the European Commission and the EU's member states to work with the fishing industry to find solutions in the short, medium and long terms to the ongoing crisis.

The parliamentary text also recognises the fact that fishermen are unable to set the price paid for fish and calls for a fairer system to ensure decent incomes for the sector.

Ms Evans commented:

"The soaring cost of fuel is having a devastating effect on numerous industries and nowhere is this more apparent than in the fishing sector. Politicians from across Europe have united to express their solidarity with fishermen and to call for action to be taken to alleviate the ongoing crisis.

"The European Parliament has expressly recognised the problem whereby fishermen are unable to set the price paid for fish at market and therefore can't offset the rising fuel costs. This is of particular concern to the Welsh fishing industry whose catches are largely transported to England for auction. The parliament has called for the European Commission to take action in this area and to ensure that fishermen can receive decent, guaranteed incomes.

"The EU's common fisheries policy has given Welsh fishermen little to celebrate over the years. However, the current fuel crisis seems to have focused the aminds of the EU's politicians and it is to be hoped that this pressure will result in a fairer deal for the Welsh fleet."