WEST MEP LAUNCHES “DON’T DITCH THE FISH”

South West MEP Julie Girling has today launched ‘Don’t Ditch the Fish’, an online awareness campaign which proposes a solution for the problem of fish discards and the wider Common Fisheries Policy.

Julie, who is a substitute member on the Fisheries Committee, has been working with Client Earth, an environmental legal practice, and with the Marine Conservation Society to establish a sensible plan for the future. Julie and her Conservative colleagues in the European Parliament have been doing something that few others appear to have yet considered; working to find a sensible and sustainable solution to the problem.

Commenting on the launch, Mrs Girling said; “The Common Fisheries Policy is Europe’s shameful secret. It is vital that we return control of fishing policy to regions and stop making micro decisions about it in Brussels.

Today we are launching the European Conservatives plan which demands reform. Conservatives want to incentivise fishermen, giving them freedom and flexibility, reward best practice and stop the number of fish wastefully discarded into our seas.

Don’t Ditch the Fish is part of wider Conservative Fisheries proposals. The time for talking about this has been and gone. I am driving forward this campaign as I am determined to see action, not just for fishermen in the South West but for fishermen across the Country. Sign up to my campaign online at http://www.dontditchthefish.com”

There will be no need to discard or worry about going over quota as vulnerable fish such as those in recovery programmes like North Sea cod will have a higher credits rating than resilient fish from healthy stocks such as North Sea mackerel, so fishermen will be incentivised to target the mackerel and to try and avoid cod to maintain a healthy credits balance. Immature fish will carry a higher credits value than mature fish from the same stock.

All fish will have to be recorded including bycatch and, except for species with a high survival rate when discarded, all will have to be landed, so most discards will become illegal.

Technical regulations would be virtually eliminated giving fishermen more flexibility and freedom and the system will be enhanced by additional CCTV on all vessels. Compliance and best practice will be rewarded with extra credits and priority access to the fish.