Xunta de Galicia decided to set aside
EUR 11 million -- from the European Fisheries Fund for the period between 2007
and 2013 -- to be allocated for scrapping fishing vessels.
Rosa Quintana, Galician Minister of Maritime
Affairs, stressed her support to a "strong and competitive" sector
and defended the scrapping of vessels as an alternative for their owners to
engage in other economic activities.
"If the shipowners want to dismantle ships to
pursue other activities, I think we should use those funds," the official
told the deputy Bieito Lobeira.
"I agree that Galicia
The deputy strongly criticised the ship-scrapping
process: "They want to put an end to the fishing fleet and to replace it
with aquaculture and marinas while our fishermen will have to find a way of
making a living."
Lobeira also accused Quintana of being an agent
"of aquaculture lobbies," the newspaper La Voz de Galicia reported.
The deputy José Manuel Balseiro recalled that
during the bipartisan government 25 vessels disappeared with grants of EUR 28
million.
Quintana appeared at the Committee on Economy,
Finance and Budget of the Galician Parliament to present the budget of the
Ministry of Maritime Affairs for the next year, rising by 1.7 per cent over the
current year and will reach EUR 178.6 million.
Of these, the Galician government will use EUR 102
million for investment and giving aid to businesses and professionals in
maritime fishing, EFE news agency reported.
Although the fishing industry is going through a
"difficult economic environment," the figures "called for
optimism," as seafood increased by 8 per cent in first-sale value and in
average price by 13%, Quintana added.
Finally, an achievement of the administration was
highlighted: the increase in 500 fishing permits (permex) since 2009 and the
"creation of 1,050 jobs" in the Northwest Bay of
Biscay fishing ground, the newspaper Faro de Vigo reported.
Source: FIS. By Analia Murias. 10 November 2011
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