Highly recommended viewing from Channel Four over three nights (Tuesday 11th - Thursday 13th Jan). Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall investigates the fishing industry to highlight the fact that between 40% and 60% of all fish caught by trawls are being returned to the sea dead This senseless waste is known as 'discarding' and is a massive problem throughout EU waters, including the North Sea.. Some of these discards are undersized fish, and some of them are species for which there is currently little market. But much of it is “over-quota” fish: prime cod, haddock, coley, whiting, plaice, and other major food species, for which the fishermen have run out of quota.
But in the pursuit of other fish for which they do still have quota, they cannot avoid catching large numbers of the “wrong” species. It’s an inherent problem in what is known as a “mixed fishery”.
The fish are being thrown away because to land them would be illegal. Only a tiny proportion of these fish will survive.
The series will be looking at aquaculture, particularly salmon farming, and also at the environmental issues surrounding the global tuna fisheries.
Go to the Fish Fight website - www.fishfight.net to support the campaign to have an input into the forthcoming review of the EU's Common Fisheries Policy. By supporting this campaign, your name will be added to a letter to be sent to Commissioner Maria Damanaki, members of the Common Fisheries Policy Reform Group, and all MEPs.
UPDATE 18th Jan: Over 500,000 supporters to Hugh's Fish Fight campaign - if we get a million 'signatures' then the issue for action on discard can be raised formally within the EU. Spread the word!
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