26 October 2017
By Mary Bermingham
mary@TheCork.ie
Cork based Sinn Féin MEP Liadh Ní Riada has proposed bringing an official European Parliament delegation to Cork to speak with Irish fishermen.
The Ireland South MEP made the call in a recent meeting in the European Parliament with officials where she successfully secured her proposal for an official European Parliament mission to Cork.
The group will meet with Irish fishermen in Cork from February 12 to 14.
Speaking on her success on securing this mission Liadh Ní Riada said;
“As part of this mission I am organising a visiting delegation from the European Parliament to speak with local fishermen, local authorities, researchers, coastal communities, cooperatives, SMEs and other stakeholders in Cork to highlight the woeful impact Irish government and EU policy has had in Ireland.
“I will raise the lack of funding for ordinary fishermen to avail of when gears and equipment are damaged or destroyed by other vessels and other factors, such as the recent storms.
“It is a situation that cannot continue, ordinary fishermen are facing enormous losses, on a bankrupting scale in some instances.
“Under the European Maritime Fisheries Fund “aid” can only be granted to cover losses caused by the adverse climatic events, environmental incidents or accidents at sea when it amounts to more than 30 % of the annual turnover of the business concerned, and that it may contribute to mutual funds which pay financial compensation to fishermen for economic losses caused by adverse climatic events or by environmental incidents or for the rescue costs for fishermen or fishing vessels in the case of accidents at sea during their fishing activities.
“I look forward to having this delegation over on the 12th February and I hope that the time they are here will open the European Union and Irish government´s eyes to what is happening to our fishermen and communities on the ground.”
