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14 December 2009 - Lost at Sea Scheme

Part Two - Investigation - Appendix Three (Undated and Unsigned File Memo on "Sunken Boats" Capacity)

Concessions of any kind on the "sunken boats" issue would have the following negative impacts:-

(a) to increase further effort on Irish sea stocks would run contrary to policy objectives and the overall interests of the sector. Existing effort is already excessive and will have to be reduced further.

(b) additional fishing capacity will undermine the livelihood of existing fishermen.

(c) these cases have been around for 15/20 years and have not been entertained by successive Ministers. There is no good objective policy reason to reopen these cases, especially after such a long period.

(d) acceptance of these boats as replacement capacity amounts in effect to the writing of a gratuitous cheque for £500,000 (assuming 200 tonnes @ £2,500 per tonne) to be allocated to a number of individuals and with a negative return to the State and the economy.

(e) as the State/taxpayer will inevitably have to buy out equivalent fleet capacity, the gain of £500,000 to a number of individuals will have in effect to be financed by the general taxpayer.

(f) any concession will inevitably lead to demands for further concessions. Long experience shows that once a grip on a policy is released, progressive further erosion is difficult to resist. Any such erosion would be a disaster from a policy perspective and further accelerate the trend towards rundown of fish stocks.

Piecemeal changes in policy in response to special pleadings from individuals where these changes would run totally contrary to policy objective, give large unrequited gains to these individuals and open up equally "meritorious" claims, cannot be recommended.

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