This animation highlights some very fishy business we exposed in Spain recently. The case we uncovered, followed a nine-month investigation into the fishy dealings of “Toño”, one of Spain’s notorious fishing barons. We exposed how his family network has amassed a list of convictions for illegal fishing and are continuing to operate around the world, putting vital fish stocks in danger.
To make matters worse, we found that the Spanish government, with millions of Euros of EU subsides at stake, is turning a blind eye to these rotten practices.
The laws that govern European fishing - the Common Fisheries Policy - are broken. Over the last 30 years, the CFP has been gradually corrupted by the vested interests of European member states, like Spain. The CFP needs to be reformed so that it stops funding illegal fishing practices and instead promotes a healthy and sustainable fishing industry in Europe.
Since the release of our report, the European Commission has responded by saying that they are investigating our allegations. However, this is not good enough. What is needed is a full, transparent audit into the fishing subsidies given to the Spanish fleet.
To do this, we need to get the UK Fisheries Minister Richard Benyon to exert pressure on the EU to carry out a full audit. The UK government can help to stop these illegal Spanish fishing barons and challenge the vested interests of the Spanish authorities in Brussels. Please take action now and put this issue on Richard Benyon's radar.
Note: This blog has been edited from the original version. By using an amazing traditional dish of Spain as a way of talking about what could be lost if overfishing continues by the Spanish fishing industry, we unintentionally touched a patriotic nerve. We have removed it to make sure our Spanish colleagues spend their time campaigning to end overfishing instead of trying to explain our British sense of humour.
