Facing Vote on European Subsidies, Fishermen Cling to Way of Life
The E.U. will vote soon on a measure which would provide 4.4 billion Euros over 7 years to subsidize the saltwater fishing industry. Most of that amount would go to large corporations directing fleets of fishing ships which many have called unsustainable. Some of the subsidies go to artisanal fishermen, who still cast lines over the side of their boat and trawl live fish to dock, but the mass overfishing conducted by organizations all over the world has made new technology and longer trips necessary for everyone just to break even. The industry, worldwide, employs about 400,000 people and receives more than $35 billion in government aid, most of which goes to fuel aid so the ships can stay out longer in search of an ever-scarcer commodity.
See "Facing Vote on European Subsidies, Fishermen Cling to Way of Life", David Jolly, The New York Times, October 21, 2013