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WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE MINISTER FOR PLANNING AND ENVIRONMENT BY THE CONNÉTABLE OF ST. JOHN
ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON TUESDAY 14th MAY 2013
Question
How much, if any, was given to the Island after the Amoco Cadiz oil disaster in 1978 to help the fishing industry and cover the costs of cleaning up the oil and is there any balance left in that fund?
If a balance is remaining, would the Minister consider using the funds to assist the Jersey fishing industry by training local crews or to support Jersey vessels applying for licences to fish in Guernsey waters?
Answer
Jersey received £203,392 from an insurance claim on the Amoco Cadiz, an oil tanker which ran aground in 1978, causing actual and potential pollution along the French Coast and in the vicinity of the Channel islands.
Proposition P32/91 (attached) was approved by the States on 26th March 1991 and provided for the establishment of an Ecology Fund using the Amoco Cadiz insurance money. The Ecology Trust Fund (ETF) was created with the transfer of £203,392 plus accrued interest of £141,200, and the £344,592 capital account of the fund is not available for distribution. Interest from the fund is available for use by the trustees (as detailed in the proposition) to grant aid, wholly or partially, for any activity designed to promote or protect the environment or ecology of Jersey.
Income from the fund has been used to fund projects which enhance the biodiversity of Jersey.
As of 31 December 2012 (unaudited accounts) the fund stood at £371,656 and currently provides an income of approximately £3,000 per annum available for grants.
Under proposition P32/91 the ETF trustees were given discretion to make sums available from the annual investment income from the Fund for the purposes, as detailed above, of partially or wholly granting aid for any activity, whether by public or private bodies or individuals, designed to promote or protect the environment or ecology of the Bailiwick of Jersey.
The ETF invites applications from the public and meets quarterly or biannually (depending on number of applications received) to consider these. Decisions on the use and allocation of funds clearly fall within the remit of the trustees. Decisions are based upon a majority vote among the trustees present and the Chair of the trustees, who is currently Deputy Anne Pryke.
Conclusion
Proposition P32/91 establishes that the ETF was not designed to provide for fishing industry development support. However, it should be noted that the Economic Development Department provide industry development funding through the Rural Initiative Scheme and have already provided support for Jersey fishermen applying for licenses to fish in Guernsey waters.
ECOLOGY FUND: ESTABLISHMENT
Lodged au Greffe on 12th March 1991 by the Finance and Economics Committee
STATES OF JERSEY
STATES GREFFE
1991 P.32
Price 75p
2
PROPOSITION
THE STATES are asked to decide whether they are of opinion -
(a) to approve the establishment of an Ecology Fund, the interest from the investment of which would be available for use by the trustees to grant aid, wholly or partially, for any activity designed to promote or protect the environment or ecology of Jersey;
(h) to agree that there should be five trustees of the Fund appointed by the States on the nomination of the Island Development Committee;
- to authorise the Treasurer of the States to transferthesumof£203,392 plus accrued interesttotheFund;
- to agree that the Fund should be administered in accordance with the report of the Finance andEconomicsCommitteedatedFebruary1991;
- to authorise the trustees to make sums available for ecological purposes from the annual investmentincomeoftheFund.
FINANCE AND ECONOMICS COMMITTEE