EU to send fishing boats to tsunami-stricken Asia
EU nations agreed to send small fishing boats taken out of commission to tsunami-hit areas of Asia to help relaunch the fishing industry there.
Fisheries ministers unanimously decided to send vessels between five and 20 years old and under 40 feet long which are being taken out of the EU fleet in an attempt to limit overfishing, said an official in Brussels.
The number of boats sent there will depend on the demand of the nations in the area. More than 110,000 boats were destroyed or damaged.
The WWF conservation group has raised objections, arguing bringing European fishing methods to Asia could drastically affect the ecological balance there and lead to overfishing.
In the tsunami-hit areas, the industry is mostly based on individual fishing while in Europe, fishing is mostly done in crews.
Instead of sending vessels, the WWF argued for increased support for the local boat-building industry.
EU ministers said that public opinion would not accept the fact that boats here are taken out of the fleet and destroyed because of overfishing while there is such a need for vessels in the stricken areas.
