13 May, 2008

A FIVE point action plan to help the Scottish fishing industry counter the effects of rising fuel costs was announced yesterday (Monday) by fisheries secretary Richard Lochhead, following a meeting with the Scottish Fishermen's Federation in Aberdeen.

The measures include:

* establishing a task force to quickly bring forward steps to help the industry;
* providing immediate help to offset fuel costs, including £400,000 for the annual maintenance costs of life rafts on every vessel in Scotland and £300,000 for the cost of the warranties vessels must pay on their satellite monitoring equipment;
* seeking a meeting with the UK government to discuss wider issues of the impact of fuel prices;
* continuing to press the European Union to ensure a level playing field on subsidies;
* working with the industry to develop a fuel efficiency scheme, which will be available by September.

The membership and remit of the task force will be agreed at today’s meeting of the Scottish Fisheries Council, with a commitment to report by August on how to respond to the fuel crisis and by February next year on longer term issues.

Shetland Fishermen’s Association chief executive Hansen Black said the measures were little more then “tinkering around the edges” of a global problem, but he hoped that they could achieve something.

Mr Lochhead said: "We must work with both the UK and European governments to help our fishermen in these difficult times. I want the task force to be radical in its thinking so we can all ensure a sustainable and profitable future for the Scottish fisheries sector."