Speaking after a series of lobbies by local fishermen to both the local Minister for Agriculture and her UK Counterpart in London, the MP for South Down said:

“The stance taken by the northern Ireland Department  for Fisheries , DARD, on the current fuel crisis is unacceptable and the Department’s current “long-term” strategy will be null and void if assistance is not given to our fishermen now. Many boat owners will be forced out of business if fuel cost of between £1,200 and £4,000 per fishing trip are to continue without some form of financial assistance. The current fuel crisis has hit the fishing industry particularly hard, as the fishermen cannot pass on the increased costs to the market. Fishermen are reliant on the price offered at Market and cannot increase prices as may be possible in other industries.

The Minister must rethink the Departments current position regarding short-term EU funding measures to tackle the fuel crisis, which are available and have been taken up by the Spanish government. This financial assistance is required to see the fishing fleet over this very difficult time. While we welcome a strategy for long-term survival of the fishing industry, the industry will not be around to avail of this assistance if assistance is not forthcoming now.