Hi there
Just to remind you all that the next meeting is on 11th October, 8pm at the Counting House, Moat croft Road.
We are still campaigning about the Common Fisheries Policy, see below latest update from Greenpease head office about this campaign, and come to the next meeting to find out what we are going to do in Eastbourne.
We hope you are keeping well. The Europe wide launch of the next phase of our Common Fisheries Policy campaign launched yesterday, exposing organised crime and corruption in the Spanish fishing industry. Please see the press release below.
We were featured in the Independent on Sunday, the Sunday Times and the Express, and in El Mundo in Spain.
The Independent piece is here - http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/spanish-fleet-accused-of-lawbreaking-lands-massive-eu-subsidies-2364366.html
Express - http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/275028/Greenpeace-slams-Spain-on-fishing
El Mundo - http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2011/10/02/galicia/1317574637.html
To see our full report go to:
http://www.greenpeace.org.uk/blog/oceans/exposed-organised-crime-sea-20111002
In response to the report, European fisheries commissioner Maria Damanaki issued a short statement this morning: “The serious allegations are already under investigation by the European Commission and being followed up with the Spanish national authorities. We are establishing all facts in order to pursue breaches’.
PRESS RELEASE
Greenpeace expose organised crime at sea - funded by you.
In a new report published today, Greenpeace reveal how Spain, by far the most influential nation in the formulation of Europe's Common Fisheries Policy, is repeatedly and systematically overlooking illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing by its huge fleet throughout European waters and beyond. The report, titled 'Ocean Inquirer', takes as a case study one Galician family whose companies have received over 16 million euros in subsidies from European taxpayers to fund a long list of criminal activities.
The Vidal family's many ships have been found conducting IUU fishing for decades, right around the world, and been prosecuted in the US, the UK and in the Pacific and the Spanish government have promised on numerous occasions to investigate and put an end to these abuses. But what they have actually done is fund them - with our money.
Spain has the largest fishing fleet in Europe, maintained with billions in subsidies - more than double the amount of subsidies received by any other EU nation. The Spanish fleet has exploited the CFP to infiltrate the fleets of other European nations and take their fishing quotas, and it is widely recognised that without a proper investigation and reform of the Spanish industry, a CFP which actually fulfils its purpose of managing Europe's fishing industry in a sustainable manner is highly unlikely[i].
If Spain, and Europe, continue with business as usual, it is predicted by the EU that less than 10% of our fish stocks will be at sustainable levels by 2022[ii].
Greenpeace's case study of the Vidal family documents their long history of illegal fishing, their prosecutions and convictions and their frequently successful attempts to avoid justice, and Spain's continuing failure to deal with an issue which has been raised with them on numerous occasions. It also reveals new evidence on Vidal's latest business venture, an alleged fish oil factory in Galicia. This factory is not currently operational, many months after its claimed opening date, and yet has already earned the Vidal family another 6.5 million euros - in EU subsidies.
Greenpeace oceans campaigner Ariana Densham said -
"According to some estimates, up to 49% of the global catch is illegal, unreported and unregulated[iii], and this is one of the reasons why our over-exploited fisheries are in such rapid decline. The fact that in Europe this theft of fish is being subsidised by taxpayers' money, that we're actually paying pirates to steal our fish, destroy one of our oldest industries and devastate the marine environment, shows just how corrupted the CFP is."
She continued -
"If we want to avoid jellyfish and chips becoming our new national dish, the first thing we need to do is properly investigate this sort of abuse and make certain that any subsidies under the new CFP go to fishing which is sustainable and legal."
Greenpeace are calling for a full EU investigation into subsidies given to the Spanish fishing industry, and for all future subsidies to be given to legal, transparent and sustainable fishing practices, consistent with the CFP's stated objectives.
ENDS
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