We've slammed the European Union's new fishing quotas, which will push cod closer to extinction in British waters.
Under pressure from Tony Blair's government, EU ministers ignored scientific advice calling for a halt to cod fishing for the third year in a row. They also threw out proposals to close some fishing grounds to protect cod stocks.
The only way to save the cod is to enforce a 'zero catch' allowance - but EU fisheries ministers have chosen to leave the cod quota at last year's already high level.
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| Cod - endangered species? |
Greenpeace oceans campaigner Oliver Knowles said: "It's a very simple argument - if fishing for cod in the North Sea is allowed to continue, then cod will be wiped out. That would be bad news for the oceans and the fishing industry. It's inexcusable that EU fisheries ministers have failed to address this issue with any sort of decisive action.
"If the EU was actually serious about protecting oceans and the fish that live in them, they'd be listening to the scientists and banning cod fishing in the North Sea instead of caving in to the short-term demands of the industry."
We're calling for 40 per cent of the North Sea to be turned into large-scale marine reserves - essentially national parks, but at sea.
Marine reserves would be off-limits to all destructive activities and help protect threatened species - such as the cod.
