A STUDY on renewing the national whitefish fleet has recommended a pilot grant aid programme for building up to four new all weather vessels.
The report, which was issued by the Minister for the Marine, Mr Barrett, last night says the new vessels should be at least 24 metres in length, at a cost of about £1.8 million each, and should target non quota and deepwater species of fish. It recommends that 40 per cent of the cost should be provided by the EU and the Government.
Welcoming the recommendation, the Minister said it would "greatly assist the Department of the Marine and the fishing industry" in the debate on renewing the whitefish fleet. He said he would be pursuing the necessary additional funding for a scheme in the context of the current mid term review of EU structural funds.
Last year, a report commissioned by Mr Barrett found that more than 60 per cent of the fleet was decrepit, under equipped and poorly maintained and had "serious deficiencies". From October 1994, to February, 1996, 25 Irish fishermen lost their lives at sea.
In limiting the pilot programme, to three to four vessels, the £35,000 study by KPMG and McIver management consultants will come as a disappointment to fishing industry representatives, who have campaigned on the safety issue and on the economic viability of the Irish fleet. Whereas Spain has renewed its, fleet for the Gran Sol grounds off, the Irish coast, Ireland recently suspended its £28 million programme to modernise and renew fishing vessels because of lack of agreement at EU level on the communitys fleet size. The suspension of funds has not been applied by other EU member states.
