eurealist.co.uk

The EU fisheries commissioner Joe Borg says that the EU fisheries policies that encourage the throwing away of thousands of tonnes of dead fish are “morally wrong” and must be reformed.

According to the United Nations Worldwide, 8 per cent of the catch is discarded, but in some waters around Scotland and Ireland it reaches almost 90 per cent. Up to 880,000 tonnes of fish are thrown back, dead, into the North sea annually.

A recent study found the Dutch beam trawler fleet discarded almost half its catch. This cost it €160m ($210.1m, £108m) annually in future revenues, 70 per cent of the value of its annual landing.

I suppose one shouldn’t carp we have after all only been screaming about this stupidity for so many years that even the Conservative party managed to produce a report on better fishing practices of course Mr Cammaron has dropped the idea and consigned the report to the dustbin along with many other conservative policies. But now when the EU fisheries policy has brought the industry to its knees and practically destroyed stocks of some fish the commissioner finally is thinking about doing something. But he is expecting a tough fight when he presents his plans which seems to include reducing the fishing fleet.

I do not know if this actually makes sense, many fish are thrown back because they would take the boat over its limit, I will wait to see what Eureferendum has to say after all Dr North does know of what he writes.

Full story FT