Jeffrey Titford - Slams £44.3 million aid package for Belgian Fishermen which leaves British fleet high and dry

The European Commission's approval of a £44.3 million (€52.5 million) aid package for the Belgian fishing industry for the period 2007-2013 yesterday (19.11.08) has attracted a broadside from Eastern Counties MEP, Jeffrey Titford. "This is a huge amount of money for a small fleet. The Belgians only have about 880 fishermen in total and will use these funds to intensify their fishing in our waters, at the expense of British fishermen.

"The great tragedy is that our cash starved fishermen will be getting nothing. The Belgians are prepared to provide match funding for anything Brussels gives them. The EU is providing £22.2 million (€26.3 million) and the Belgian Government is coming up with the rest. Our Government will not and it means that there will be no similar aid package for the British fishing industry, which is in dire straits. It is insulting for our fishermen to see their competitors so well funded and plundering our waters, while their own industry continues to be drastically under-funded and drowned in red tape. It is high time this Government took its responsibility for the British fishing industry seriously.

"I need hardly add that if Britain were to leave the EU, there would be enough money saved to enable the Government to massively increase funding for fishing, not to mention the fact that we would regain control of our own fishing waters, which was so sadly lost when we joined the then Common Market."