Update on Trawlermens Compensation – 17 March 2011  

Alan has worked with the other port MPs, Austin Mitchell and Frank Doran, since he became an MP to win compensation for trawlermen who lost their jobs as a result of the Cod Wars. He worked with the British Fishermen Association to argue that trawlermen were entitled to £1000 per year of service (provided they lost their job after 1st January 1974) up to a maximum of £20,000. The first Compensation Scheme in 2000-2003 was the first major step towards success but Alan thought that the clause surrounding the 12 week break rule needed to be changed. The clause meant that if a trawlermen was ashore or fishing on non-Icelandic vessels for 12 weeks or more (for any reason) then the compensation would be calculated using only the years after that break. This meant that some men lost out on thousands of pounds just because they had had a break for longer than 12 weeks – sometime to...