Open publication - Free publishing - More eu taxpayers
The legislation brought to bear on artisanal fishermen, whether here in the Uk or elsewhere in the EU or rest of the world must look almost insane when compared to the damge wrought by these huge mainly ex-Dutch freezer trawlers (many were no strangers to the mackerel and scad rich waters off Cornwall) now licensed to fish 'legally' off the west coast of Africa and other waters - read on......
"The German, Maartje Theadora, was our ‘target’. There was no singling it out from the others, they were all ‘Pelagic Factory-trawler Association’ vessels funded by EU tax payers’ money. European taxpayers have contributed to the construction and modernisation of these boats and their fishing gear. The EU has also paid €142 million to secure fishing rights for PFA vessels in Mauritanian and Moroccan waters.Quoted from blogger MikeMate aboard the Greenpeace vessel, Arctic Sunrise.
With EU support the PFA scored profits for the period 2007-2009 of €54 million. The Ocean Inquirer states that without EU subsidies those profits would shrink to €7 million at best."