The fisheries sector in Spain received the largest amount of EU fishing subsidies in 2009, receiving a total of €733.9 million (US$ million), according to a report from environmental group Oceana.
The report revealed that the EU's fishing industry received subsidies for €3.3 billion (US$ billion), representing 50 percent of the value of all the captures unloaded in Europe. Oceana warned that the actual figures for the subsidies delivered by the EU and the member states to the fishing industry are more than three times greater than the amount typically quoted in public figures, which only include the European Fishery Fund (EFF) but not individual contributions from each country.
Spain, France, Denmark, the United Kingdom and Italy received the most fishing subsidies. These five countries together received €1.9 billion (US$ billion), 57 percent of the total amount received by the EU.
In addition, government subsidies to the fishing sector in nearly half of the EU countries are greater than the total value of their fish catch –Finland was three times higher. and Germany was 1.5 times higher.
"The fisheries sector, which faces more and more difficulties to generate profits, owes almost its whole existence to the existing subsidy scheme," says Anne Schroeer, one of the authors of the report. "However, these subsidies have largely contributed to overfishing and to low economic efficiency of this sector."
Oceana believes that many EU fleets can operate only with the aid of subsidies. According to a recently published economic analysis by the European Commission (EC), despite the financial support received, between 30 percent and 40 percent of the fleet segments have recorded losses.
Oceana fisheries campaigns manager María José Cornax added: "The subsidies that promote the capacity of the fishing fleet have enhanced overcapacity and encouraged overfishing, contributing to make it economically viable to fish farther and farther."
The report also reviewed aid programmes for fuel costs, for which it is estimated that a total of €1.4 million was allocated. Oceana stated that fuel subsidies promote overfishing by reducing operating costs and offering the possibility of fishing at greater ranges than would otherwise be economically possible.
FIS
