Do you want to support Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's campaign to change EEC Fish Quota rules?

[Whoever]

If you saw his programme last night and feel angry about thousands of tonnes of perfectly good fish having to be thrown back dead into the sea every day because EEC Fishing Quota rules have been exceeded, you can sign up here:

http://www.fishfight.net/

[DTCwordfan]

and the fines are substantial.

However fishing traders should respect the law and not try and duck under them - Elizabeth Stevenson of Newlyn got done for £2 million I think it was for flouncing the quota and passing off fish like cod, hake and anglerfish by calling it something else of lower value like ling or turbot.
http://news.bbc.co.uk.../cornwall/6553155.stm

[DTCwordfan]

petition signed by the way

[boxtops]

signed and passed on to others

[LazyGun]

signed and forwarded

[squarebear]

So why do the fishermen catch more fish than they need to? If they are told to catch x amount of cod and they catch twice that amount, they should be heavily fined.

[murraymints]

nice bit of hake for me......wedge of lemon... yum yum

[ganesh]

Are you all crazy?The quota is there so that we do not over-fish,there will soon be no fish left in the sea and the quotas don't go far enough! If there are dead fish (why?) then this is the issue.Of course it's a waste to throw dead fish back but there is obviously something wrong with the method of catching them if they are having to do this. Surely they can chuck live ones back if they are quick enough and they have exceeded the quota.I'm sorry that I didn't see the programme and I like Hugh and his ethical organic principals,but on just what I've heard I will not sign the petition,

[mike11111]

In my mother's young days (the 20s) the fishmonger would come around the streets with his cart laden with herrings, which sold at 12 for one old penny.

[slinky.kate]

my dad was a fisherman(and grandfather)he gave up once all the rules and regulations came into force,there used to be loads of fishing boats here but now its dwindled down to about 2 os 3,simply because its hard to make a living out of it

[redman41]

Have just signed the Petition ! Only saw last night's Programme but the waste of Fish was appalling considering how much over fishing that goes on World wide !

[squarebear]

I won't sign it either. It's the fishermen and their methods that are at fault.

[JonnyBoy12]

Yes, it is a horrible waste of fish, and I think they should give it all to us ABers first. We could all have an AB fish supper night. What do you all think of this, then?

[woozer]

Am I being a bit naive - I thought the fishermen couldnt be sure exactly what type of fish and how much of it they had caught until they hauled in the nets - how are they supposed to know how much they have caught before they have caught it - serious question not being sarky

[pastafreak]

The 'problem' is the Common Fisheries Policy. It determines not only quotas, but where and how fish are to be caught. It also sets strict guidelines as to what kind of net is used,and for what kind of fish. Different nets catch different sized fish. So if a boat goes out to the North Sea to catch Cod-it will get the set quota.....and a whole lot of other fish-ALL of which have to be thrown back because they are not part of that quota.
I hope this is making sense for those who seem to feel the blame lies with irresponsible fishermen. These guys don't want to throw perfectly good fish back-but the law leaves them with no other choice.

[ganesh]

How can 'perfectly good fish' refer to dead ones?

[pastafreak]

I think they mean in the sense that these other varieties are also good to eat...but get thrown back because fishermen are not allowed to land them.

[ganesh]

Yes but if they were fished on a small scale ,the unwanted ones caught in their nets could surely be thrown back alive.

[pastafreak]

What do you mean by small scale? Any trip made has to be financially viable for the crew.....they don't make a set wage-instead the profit is divided up between them. One program this week followed a fishing boat in rough seas....at the end after days at sea-and a reasonable catch,it was said that the men were working for not much more than the minimum wage. All for doing an incredibly dangerous job.

[pastafreak]

http://www.fishfight.net/the-campaign/
read this ... http://www.fishfight.net/the-campaign/

It explains why there is so much waste...and why it is not the fishermen who are to blame...scroll down to 'Discards at Sea'

[boxtops]

I'm with pasta's explanations on this - the fishermen can't control which fish swim into their nets, and it's only when they are landed and in their boat (by which time most have been out of water too long and have suffocated) that the crew can see which varieties have been caught. If they are fishing cod, they even have to throw back dead cod if they have caught their quota for that trip. It's a disgraceful waste of food.