I
Ian Cloke
Guest
Westcountry fishermen have welcomed news that the European Commission is taking action to stop the dumping of millions of tons of dead fish back into the sea.
Joe Borg, European Fisheries Commissioner, yesterday proposed an initiative to gradually eliminate the "discard madness" - a system under which fishermen dump millions of tons of fish back into the sea in order to stick to agreed quotas.
The paper is intended to start a debate on the issue, and the commission said it could start the first regulations for specific fisheries next year. It is part of the EU strategy to protect threatened stocks of cod and several other species.
Last night Jim Portus, chief executive of the South West Fish Producers' Organisation, said the Westcountry's fishing industry was up to the "challenge" of delivering a solution.
Last December, the EC recommended a string of cuts in quotas including a 25 per cent reduction in the permitted cod catch and smaller but significant reductions in plaice, sole and hake allowances.
Discards are common in EU waters, with the amount of fish discarded making up more than 50 per cent of catches in some areas.
Mr Borg told the commission: "Discarding is wrong because it represents a waste of precious marine resources. Therefore, it makes no ecological, economic or ethical sense. The sooner we bring this wasteful practice to an end, the better."
To put an end to the practice, the commission is proposing a management system which involves maximum by-catch rates and an obligation to land all fish caught. It also hopes fishermen will invest in the right fishing gear in order to minimise by-catches.
Mr Portus said: "We welcome the challenge that is being put down by the commission and I am convinced that the fishing industry in the Westcountry is up to the challenge of delivering a solution. There are a number of issues that we have been concerned about for a number of years and there will now be continued discussions to achieve the objectives proposed today."
Neil Parish, Westcountry Euro MP, said: "More than a million tonnes of fish is needlessly dumped overboard every year because of quotas set by the EU. Wasting perfectly healthy fish at a time when quotas are perennially cut is simply indefensible from a conservation point of view, and for our fishing industry.
"Landing everything our fishermen catch will enable our scientists to better understand which fish species are under threat. The science behind current conservation efforts is far too inconclusive, and quotas are a blunt instrument for conserving stocks."
Joe Borg, European Fisheries Commissioner, yesterday proposed an initiative to gradually eliminate the "discard madness" - a system under which fishermen dump millions of tons of fish back into the sea in order to stick to agreed quotas.
The paper is intended to start a debate on the issue, and the commission said it could start the first regulations for specific fisheries next year. It is part of the EU strategy to protect threatened stocks of cod and several other species.
Last night Jim Portus, chief executive of the South West Fish Producers' Organisation, said the Westcountry's fishing industry was up to the "challenge" of delivering a solution.
Last December, the EC recommended a string of cuts in quotas including a 25 per cent reduction in the permitted cod catch and smaller but significant reductions in plaice, sole and hake allowances.
Discards are common in EU waters, with the amount of fish discarded making up more than 50 per cent of catches in some areas.
Mr Borg told the commission: "Discarding is wrong because it represents a waste of precious marine resources. Therefore, it makes no ecological, economic or ethical sense. The sooner we bring this wasteful practice to an end, the better."
To put an end to the practice, the commission is proposing a management system which involves maximum by-catch rates and an obligation to land all fish caught. It also hopes fishermen will invest in the right fishing gear in order to minimise by-catches.
Mr Portus said: "We welcome the challenge that is being put down by the commission and I am convinced that the fishing industry in the Westcountry is up to the challenge of delivering a solution. There are a number of issues that we have been concerned about for a number of years and there will now be continued discussions to achieve the objectives proposed today."
Neil Parish, Westcountry Euro MP, said: "More than a million tonnes of fish is needlessly dumped overboard every year because of quotas set by the EU. Wasting perfectly healthy fish at a time when quotas are perennially cut is simply indefensible from a conservation point of view, and for our fishing industry.
"Landing everything our fishermen catch will enable our scientists to better understand which fish species are under threat. The science behind current conservation efforts is far too inconclusive, and quotas are a blunt instrument for conserving stocks."