AND END TO BYCATCH (KILLING 50% OF CATCH) FISH IN EUROPE?

Plan to end discards protects fishermen for the long haul

Throwing away thousands of tonnes of fish is unacceptable. At last the problem is getting a serious airing in Brussels

•   Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 1 March 2011 19.24 GM
Half of the fish caught in the North Sea today are thrown away, dead, because of an EU fisheries policy that is no longer fit for purpose. We can all agree that the system is broken – throwing away thousands of tonnes of edible fish is unacceptable. But on Tuesday we heard a bold proposal from the European commission that would aim to eliminate discards. It deserves a fair hearing. When we started our campaign against discards, I was surprised by the fantastic sign-up to our petition – 653,000 people so far. Discards are an emotive issue – people are appalled by images of fish being thrown back into the sea, dead and dying. Many of us had an inkling this was going on, but most didn't realise the scale of the problem – and people needed to know. When we brought it to public attention, I expected a good response, but in fact it was overwhelming. I would like to think it's hard to ignore more than half a million signatures. Now discards are at the heart of common fisheries policy reform, and that is where the issue needs to be. It's too early to talk of success, but I am thrilled the problem is getting a serious airing in Brussels. Maria Damanaki, the fisheries commissioner, has made a bold move, and I applaud that. Fishermen hate discarding – it is anathema to them, as they want to bring back their catch to sell for a fair price. Yet in some quarters, including representatives of the Scottish fleet, this proposal has been dismissed as a threat to fishermen's livelihoods. It was perhaps unfortunate that Scotland was not independently represented in Brussels. As it was, the whole of the UK was represented by Richard Benyon, the fisheries minister in Westminster. Some have been too quick to condemn the proposal. Understandably, fishermen fear there are going to be more restrictions on what they can do, and it will be harder to make a living. But when all fish caught are landed for sale, and none thrown away, that should provide for bigger quotas while still wasting less fish. I believe fishermen would like to work in waters where they are not obliged to discard fish. If they can still land a reasonable amount and take them to market, they should have no fear of compulsory landing. But the transition needs to be managed well. And perhaps anyone who thinks that a ban on discards is not the right way to go has an obligation to explain how to do it better. But the aim of our campaign was never to dictate policy in Brussels. We set out to show the extent of public outrage on discards, and force politicians to act on it. The Commissioner has made a bold move, but is just the beginning of the debate. I can only hope they come back with a new CFP that both eliminates discards and provides fishermen with a chance to make a living. Source:  http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/mar/01/plan-end-discards-protects-fishermen