Fears of existence among coastal fishermen: Alliance urgently demands help!

Fears of existence among coastal fishermen: Alliance urgently demands help!

cuxhaven. alarm mood among the coastal fishermen! Existence fears grow, and an alliance of municipalities, tourism and business urgently demands help from the federal government. The situation is serious: dwindling fishing areas, falling yields and shortened grants put the industry under massive pressure. "This is actually about existence," warns Uwe Santjer, the mayor of Cuxhaven (SPD), on the 2nd North German fishing conference. "We need a perspective."

The alliance has formulated clear demands: At least five percent of the proceeds from the sale of areas for offshore wind power are supposed to flow to coastal fishing as a structural aid. These funds have recently been drastically shortened! In addition, a fishing fund is to be set up that finances measures to diversify the industry, modernization of fishing vehicles, for marketing and research. A fishing council is intended to use the use of the fund to protect the interests of the coastal fishermen.

urgent need for action

The demands are part of the “Future Pact of Coastal Fish 2050”, which was already signed at the first North German fishing conference in summer. The aim is to secure coastal fishing in Lower Saxony and Schleswig-Holstein. The background is the plans of the European Union to ban fishing with networks on the seabed in protected areas by 2030 at the latest. A race against the time for the coastal fishermen!