| |
FORMER
ICELANDIC TRAWLERMEN'S SCHEME
The Secretary of State for Trade & Industry
announced, on 28 July 2000, the establishment of a new scheme of Government
compensation for former Icelandic-water trawlermen who lost their jobs when the
industry collapsed following the settlement of the “Cod Wars” of the mid 1970s.
The scheme ran for two years and closed on 1 October 2002. It was administered
by the DTI’s Redundancy Payments Office at Watford. Payment was restricted to
those former trawlermen (including share fishermen) who left the industry on or
after 1 January 1974 and had at least two years’ continuous service on vessels
that trawled in Icelandic waters, but not necessarily with the same employer.
Payment was made on the basis of £1,000 for each year at sea with a maximum
entitlement of £20,000. Surviving dependants were also entitled to claim in
cases where former trawlermen, who would have been eligible, were deceased. Sums
received by former trawlermen under ex-gratia redundancy payments
arrangements operated by the Government between 1993 and 1995 were offset
against payments under the new scheme.
The scheme was recently amended specifically to
include vessels that fished in areas within Icelandic waters, as defined in the
scheme, but where proof of this was not available because they were
traditionally recorded as Faroes vessels. These areas are principally
Rosengarten and Working Man’s Bank. The scheme is not being extended in respect
of any other matters.
|
