The Celtic League has written to the European Commission urging action to assist struggling fishing communities throughout the Celtic countries.

Rising fuel costs and restricted quotas are exacerbating an already desperate problem in areas which have traditionally relied on fisheries for economic stability.

The application of the Common Fishery Policy is also a problem and recently the Scottish government expressed its concern and determination to assist the hard pressed industry.

Speaking after a recent meeting with the EU Commissioner Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Richard Lochhead MSP, said:

"The Scottish Government is determined to ensure Scotland's voice is heard in Brussels and today I was able to outline our views on the future of fisheries policy to European Fisheries Commissioner Joe Borg.

"I was able to update the Commissioner on the progress being made in Scotland following the introduction of our ground breaking Conservation Credits scheme, where fishermen are rewarded with days at sea in return for signing up to conservation measures.

I explained to Commissioner Borg that our firm view in Scotland is that responsibility for fisheries management should be passed to nations rather than via the top down approach of the centralised Common Fisheries Policy. The trail blazing measures we are implementing in Scotland begin to take us in that direction.

We intend to build on our existing measures in partnership with the industry in Scotland and the Commissioner is supportive of what we are doing. For as long as Scotland is part of the CFP we will work to bring as much responsibility for fisheries management back to Scotland as possible. We will continue to be constructive and to put our case to Europe.

We also had fruitful discussions on the role of independent scientific observers and the need to encourage other nations to follow Scotland's example in terms of the new measures being adopted by our fleet."

The Celtic League has consistently raised concerns about the need to safeguard and protect the vital integrity of our fisheries communities.

We first expressed reservations about the impact of the application of the CFP at our AGM in Wales in 1989. We have reiterated these concerns periodically and the matter was reviewed at thew 2002 AGM when the following resolution (moved by the Breton branch) was reaffirmed:

"This AGM: recalling the concerns of the Celtic League articulated at the 1989 AGM, held in Abergwaun(Fishguard), about the long term implications of the European Union Common Fisheries policy calls upon the European Commission to take steps to protect those communities within the Celtic countries that have traditionally derived their living from the fishing industry."

The latest communication from the General Secretary to EU Commissioner Borg is set out below:

"Dear Commissioner Joe Borg

Fuel and catch quotas

I am writing to you following the rising fuel costs and increasingly restricted catch quotas for rural and remote fishing communities in the Celtic countries of Alba/Scotland, Breizh/Brittany, Cymru/Wales, Kernow/Cornwall and Éire/Ireland.

We are aware that there are strict EU guidelines for state governments to adhere to when it comes to making direct fuel subsidies to fishermen and that fishing quotas have to be restricted, but we are increasingly concerned that grassroots and rural workers living in remote fishing communities of the above mentioned Celtic nations will be among the worst affected, unless something is done to help them. We believe that grassroots workers within these fishing communities are most vulnerable to fuel price rises and increasingly tighter fishing quotas, because theses communities are heavily dependent on the fishing industry to survive.

We therefore would like to urge you to consider the possibility of cutting fuel duty for fishermen and women and to create an European fuel price regulator post, as part of a comprehensive package to protect the livelihoods of people working in the fishing industry in rural and remote areas. This type of positive discrimination is necessary if rural and remote fishing communities are to survive in the long term.

We look forward to receiving your response.

Yours sincerely

Rhisiart Tal-e-bot General Secretary Celtic League

cc. Hilary Benn, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Richard Lochhead, Fisheries Secretary, Scotland Carwyn Jones, Minister for Environment, Planning and Countryside, Wales Brendon Smith, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Republic of Ireland Michel Barnier, Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, France Janick Moriceau, Breton Regional Council"

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J B Moffatt Director of Information Celtic League

27/05/08

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