The Fish Fight Campaign

Last night I watched the first program in a three part series by Hugh Fearnly-Whittingstall on Channel 4, which is focused on fighting the insane rules regarding fishing quotas and the mind boggling waste which the system generates. I watched with much interest and growing anger as vast quantities of dead fish were thrown overboard because it cannot be landed without quota. For those of you who missed it the link is here.

I must admit that I found it upsetting to watch, but it was highly thought provoking and I am pleased that I did. Once again it shows the absolute misguided inanity of EEC fishing policy and that really is the crux of the matter.

This looks like being a brave campaign by Hugh, but will anything change and common sense prevail? Even as an optomist, I very much doubt it.

Re: The Fish Fight Campaign

I didn't watch the programme on Channel Four last night, but I have watched some of the trawlermen programmes which were televised some time ago. I agree Plantman it seems insane to chuck anything non-quota away, but I think this all started back in the fifties with the first of the Islandic Cod Wars. The three Cod Wars resulted in fishing quotas being imposed on the fishermen.

I watched Hugh Fernley-Whittingstall's series about the chickens and I think he did make a marginal difference (it did to me anyway) so he may make some difference with this programme.

He is quite right, people should eat a far wider variety of fish. Chucking everything that is not on the quota back and wasting it is immoral, I think. In the trawlermen series they were often fishing for prawns and would be throwing back large cod because their quota was for prawns only and they couldn't land cod.

Would it be a better solution do you think to keep weight quotas, but not differenciate between what is landed, go just on total weight regardless of what is in the net? What they get in their nets they can land and sell. With modern equipment on trawlers they could still make a calculation on where what they want is to be found, but there would still be an element of chance.

We would all have to change our ways and preferences as consumers, (which will take time and education) but I think if it is caught and is edible it should be sold and consumed. Perhaps I am naive - but I do know that if something doesn't make commercial sense and make money for someone then it doesn't usually happen.

Re: The Fish Fight Campaign

I agree with you entirely Aerolor, quotas should relate to overall tonnage caught, regardless of species, or time spent out of harbour fishing. I can understand quotas being set and limits on sea fishing being necessary, whoever thought up the present system, and all those that agreed to the present system, really need their heads examined. It is estimated that around one million tons of caught fisn is dumped overboard every year in the North Atlantic alone. Conservation of stocks? It`s just a sick joke.
Here is the petition which you can sign to back the campaign.

Re: The Fish Fight Campaign

I wasn't aware of that regulation! How absurd, agree that tonnage makes much more sense; It's sickening to think of all that good food being wasted ......

Re: The Fish Fight Campaign

I agree with everything that's been said. The sooner we get out of the bureaucratic unelected monstrosity that is the EEC, the better for all of us!

Mick