Overview

• During a visit to Büsum on the North Sea coast, Alois Rainer praised local crab fishermen and signaled federal support.
• He described the fishery as both an economic asset and a cultural good, calling crabs an important food for Germany.
• Rainer pledged to watch for any drastic reduction of fishing grounds because of the sector’s importance to the region.
• Fishermen pressed for less bureaucracy, fewer controls, investment aid and a scrappage incentive, and he said he seeks medium- and short-term solutions.
• The outreach featured hands-on gestures as Rainer learned to peel crabs with help from state minister Werner Schwarz and then enjoyed a crab roll.