ZAGREB, July 7 (Hina) - Croatian Premier Zlatko Matesa and Croatian fishermen representatives on Wednesday discussed the urgent necessity of subsidising the fishing trade. Within a week, the government will draft a motion, but the
fishermen are only party satisfied with what has been agreed on, Tonci Bozanic, a representative for the Croatian Chamber of Commerce Fishing Trade Guild, told reporters after the talks. The Premier suggested a direct subsidising of the fishing trade, via one kilo of caught fish. According to Bozanic, the guild will voice its opinion once a final subsidising draft has been made and the model's applicability assessed. The fishermen earlier requested that the government by July 15 grant them permission to use heating oil as fuel at US$0.28, in order to avoid paying US$0.51 for diesel fuel. Bozanic said Premier Matesa assessed this model as unacceptable. According to Mil
ZAGREB, July 7 (Hina) - Croatian Premier Zlatko Matesa and Croatian
fishermen representatives on Wednesday discussed the urgent
necessity of subsidising the fishing trade.
Within a week, the government will draft a motion, but the fishermen
are only party satisfied with what has been agreed on, Tonci
Bozanic, a representative for the Croatian Chamber of Commerce
Fishing Trade Guild, told reporters after the talks.
The Premier suggested a direct subsidising of the fishing trade,
via one kilo of caught fish. According to Bozanic, the guild will
voice its opinion once a final subsidising draft has been made and
the model's applicability assessed.
The fishermen earlier requested that the government by July 15
grant them permission to use heating oil as fuel at US$0.28, in
order to avoid paying US$0.51 for diesel fuel. Bozanic said Premier
Matesa assessed this model as unacceptable.
According to Miljenko Milohanic, president of the Primorje-Gorski
Kotar County Fishermen Association, the government is postponing
and further complicating finding a solution to the problem of the
fishermen who, he said, are facing ruin.
Milohanic said the county Protest Committee would decide whether to
wait for the government's motion, or stage a protest in Puntar Bay
on the island of Krk on Friday, thus blocking Croatia's biggest
marina in the peak tourist season.
Milohanic believes subsidies for the fishing trade via a kilo of
caught fish are not the right solution. We should take a world
subsidising model, which has already proved successful, he added.
He assessed the motion to pay fuel at US$0.28 was not the best for
"minor" fishermen. "Major" ones will continue to go to Italy for
fuel, paying US$0.16, he said.
Subsidies for fishermen were cancelled under the Law on Monetary
Incentives and Compensation in Agriculture and the Fishing Trade.
Before, Croatian fishermen paid US$0.20 for fuel, but Milohanic
said subsidies were irregular. The fishermen received returns for
last year's October and November only last month.
(hina) ha jn