Coastal fisherman in need: Cuxhaven urgently demands support!

Coastal fisherman in need: Cuxhaven urgently demands support!

Ditzum, Deutschland - A dramatic signal from Cuxhaven! An alliance of politics, business and tourism raises the alarm and urgently demands more support for the coastal fishermen on the German North Sea coast. "We need a perspective," called Uwe Santjer, the mayor of Cuxhaven (SPD), during the 2nd North German fishing conference, in which East Frisian representatives also took part. "This is actually about existence!" The fishermen stand on the abyss and time is pushing!

The coastal fishermen are dependent on financial aid, and the alliance demands that at least five percent of the proceeds flow to fishing when selling space for offshore wind power. But the federal government has reduced the funds drastically - from around 670 million euros to only 130 million euros! Hilke Loden, the independent mayor of Krummhörn, expressed the pressing question: "Is that shortened or capped?" The uncertainty about the budget is alarming.

claims and solutions for the fishermen

In order to relieve the fishermen, a fishing fund is to be created to finance measures to diversify, modernize ships and research. A fishing council, consisting of representatives of the economy, politics and the municipalities, could decide on the distribution of funds. These demands are already anchored in the "Future Pact of Coastal Fish 2050", which was launched by municipalities, the tourism industry and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in East Frisia.

The concerns of coastal fishermen grow, especially through the EU plans, to ban fishing with nets on the seabed in protected areas. Dirk Sanders, President of the Lower Saxony State Fishing Association, warns: "Our biggest problem is that catch areas are lost." The fishermen displace wind farms and cable routes, and the possibility of fishing in offshore areas remains prohibited in Germany. "We have too many ships, we have to adapt the capacity," he explains. Coastal fishing is not only crucial for the fishermen itself, but also for tourism and the economy of the region. "Anyone who comes to the coast wants to eat a photo of a cutter and fish," emphasizes Santjer. Without a future for fishing, this will soon be a thing of the past!