Back in January, Channel 4’s Big Fish Fight season caused quite a splash. The undoubted star of the season was Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and his three Hugh’s Fish Fight programmes which brought the shocking facts behind the fish on our plates onto TV screens.
Hugh and his team's in depth investigations into these issue had an amazing impact in the UK on raising public awareness about the true cost of our fish.
Greenpeace has been proud to fight the good fish fight with Hugh and we have been collaborating with him on a number of issues – so we’re really excited that there’s going to be a follow-up programme next week. Hugh’s Fish Fight: the Battle Continues will be screened on Channel 4 on Monday 8 August at 9pm.
Although the programme hasn’t been aired yet, we’re sure that it will be essential viewing, quite simply because so much has happened in the last six months since Fish Fight kicked off.
Firstly, there is the phenomenal success of the tinned tuna campaign which Greenpeace started and Hugh has backed. In the UK, all major brands and retailers have now pledged to stop sourcing tuna caught by destructive methods, as well as supporting protected areas in the Pacific.
That’s a great result for the oceans, and one we couldn’t have done without Hugh.
Secondly, by championing the need for real reform of European fishing laws - something Greenpeace and other groups are working on - and exposing the wasteful reality of discards, Hugh has helped raise awareness at the highest levels in Europe. It now seems that real action to end discarding fish might actually happen.
Thirdly, the fight doesn’t end here. As well as being recognised with a BAFTA, Hugh and his team have taken their Fish Fight to the heart of Europe, and have also been involved in ground-breaking campaigns like Selfridges' Project Ocean. Support for Hugh’s Fish Fight has helped raise awareness on a whole host of fishy issues, and reached a whole host of new audiences.
So make sure you tune in on Monday, to find out what Hugh did next, and what else we still might need to help him with.
And of course check out our Facebook page and Twitter for the latest information, as well as fishfight.net.
[Image above: Oceans campaigner Hanne Larsen holds up a cod that's about to be discarded due to the current EU quota systems © Greenpeace / Christian Aslund]
Find out more about Greenpeace's work on fishing and defending our oceans:
>> Then there were none: John West changes its tuna to drop FADs
>> Common Fisheries Policy reform: glimmer of light in a sea of darkness
>> Change your tuna goes global in NZ and Canada
>> Fish Fight brings the battle to Europe
>> African Voices UK tour video: speaking out against ocean plundering
