Whitehead backs Fish Fight campaign for sustainable seas
12th May 2011
Alan Whitehead spoke out today on the need for a complete overhaul of UK and EU fisheries policy to safeguard the future of our seas and our fish stock.
Speaking in the Commons debate, Alan highlighted the massive waste of fish discarded back into the ocean in European seas, and the damage this is doing to species' breeding populations and ecosystems. He also backed the current Fish Fight campaign to support sustainable fishing.
In his speech, Alan said:
"The question of discards is a world issue for fishing. The average estimate of discards from catches across the world is about 8%, but it is certainly far worse in Europe, and that is a result, as we have heard, of aspects of the CFP as it stands. Let us consider the prawns and shrimps that we eat on our table. For every tonne of shrimp that is landed, probably 10 to 15 tonnes of fish have been discarded. That is across the world—it is not just in Europe. It is unlikely that many people would accept a non-sustainably sourced prawn on their plate if they were aware of the overwhelming numbers that died to bring that prawn to their plate."
Alan also backed a Commons motion calling on the UK government to develop a series of measures that must shape a new Europe-wide fisheries policy. Alan says:
"As we move towards a new EU fisheries policy, it is absolutely vital that we remove ourselves from all the baggage of previous fisheries policies, which, since the first one was introduced in 1983, have never contained an environmental, conservation or sustainability component.
"It is essential that we have an EU fisheries policy that is fit for purpose for the world we now live in. That is the bottom line of the debate. That includes ending discards and introducing technology that ensures that what is caught approximates most closely to what is intended to be caught, for example by using different nets. It includes looking at science to secure the best way forward for reducing the collateral consequences of fishing. And it includes no-fish zones."
You can read Alan's full speech on future fisheries policy here.
The Commons motion was finally won- the full text is below.
"That this House welcomes the Fish Fight campaign; and calls on the Government to vote against proposed reforms of the EU Common Fisheries Policy unless they implement an ecosystems-based approach to fisheries management, end discards in relation to all fish and shellfish with derogation only for species proven to have a high survival rate on discarding, require that all fish and shellfish are harvested at sustainable levels by 2015, ensure the involvement of fishers and other stakeholders in decision-making processes and enable the UK to introduce higher standards of management and conservation in respect of all vessels fishing within its territorial waters, taking into particular account vessel size and environmental impact."
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