Updated - Adds reaction by the Resources Ministry - The two fisheries cooperatives are calling for an investigation into a fishing cessation scheme issued some days ago.

They said today that they had walked out of a meeting with officials of the Resources Ministry on October 25 because they had not been invited for talks about the scheme but were presented with a fait accomplit.

The scheme, to encourage tuna fishermen to scrap their trawlers, was the sixth of its kind. This was the first time, however, that fishermen could not scrap their trawlers at whichever yard they wanted but had to go to Bezzina or Cassar.

The cooperatives asked the Prime Minister whether these shipyards had put any pressure on the government.

The fishermen also complained of discrimination, since the scheme was only being made available to tuna fishermen. They noted that while there were only 60 fishermen registered to fish for tuna, there were in all 1,040 fishermen.

"We wil not tolerate discrimination between fishermen," they said. Schemes meant to help fishermen should apply to all.

The cooperatives insisted that existing agreements should be honoured by the government.

The schemes were offered by the government as part of an EU-wide effort to reduce tuna fishing and protect stocks.

MINISTRY'S REACTION

In a reply, the Resources Ministry said it did not intend any discrimination between tuna fishermen and others.  However, according to the rules of the European Fisheries Fund, it was only trawlers used for certain types of fishing  which could be decomissioned in terms of this fund.

It said the governemnt was planning to issue, by the end of this month, a scheme for the modernisation of fishing boats. The cooperatives have been invited to discuss the scheme.

55% of funds eligible to fishermen under the 2010 fleet modernisation fund have  been paid. Other payments are in the process of being issued, following talks with the EU.