Saving our fish stocks

The debate over dwindling fish stocks in the North Sea continues unabated, with countries blaming each other for failing to protect the industry and with those who have a vested interest in exploting the remaining stocks blaming each other.

The government's approach is proving to be a failure as stocks continue to plummet. Fishermen are kept at home for weeks every month but as soon as they get in their boats they pull immature fish out of the sea then throw them back dead.

Instead of paying the fishermen to stay at home, it would be a better use of their time and expertise if they were given the task of creating artificial reefs to act as nursery habitats to encourage fish to breed. After all the fihsermen have the most detailed knowledge of where the fish should be.

The statistics are alarming. It is thought that total fish stocks in the north Sea have dropped from 26 million tonnes to 10 million tonnes in just over a century.

The EU estimates that 40% to 60% of fish caught in the North Sea are dumped back in the water, dead. This is because regulations limit the ammount of fish that can be brought back to port but do not restrict the amount of fish that can be caught. Fisheries Minister Jonathan Shaw simply wants the industry to be able to land everything they catch, as if that would prevent the continuing decline of fish stock and the failure of the industry to act with restraint.

As well as requiring fishermen to create artifical reefs, there should be a ban on fishing in areas where there are large numbers of spawning fish, and the equipment used by fihsermen should be more selective, allowing fishermen to catch, say, only prawns. If fish stocks are to survive in the North Sea, it is also clear that the EU has to impose a moratorium to allow stocks to recover. The present system of banning fishing for so many days every month and then allowing unrestrained activity where up to 60% of everything that is caught is tossed back dead into the water is a total failure.

EU COD QUOTAS - 2007

The European Commission's Fisheries Council agreed the following quota for 2007

Reduction in cod that could be caught of between 14% and 20%

UK fishing crews quota set at c 7,773 tonnes, down from 9,037 tonnes

Number of days cod fishing boats could spend at sea reduced by between 7% and 10%

This still allowed crews with the biggest nets 155-156 days at sea, down from 163 days

Links

Guide to UK fishing industry

North Sea Fish Crisis - a history

Published and promoted by Christian Vassie, 10 Blake Court, Wheldrake, York YO19 6BT