Kathryn Stack, Senior Political Advisor to Struan Stevenson MEP, Senior Vice-President of the European Parliament Fisheries Committee, writes on the influence of the Green lobby/NGOs in EU fisheries policy decision making.
Somewhat surprisingly, dismay over the state of commercial fishing has been propelled to the forefront of middle class dinner party conversation across the country. Venting over the rapidly declining fish stocks seemingly on the brink of collapse has suddenly become “du jour”.
Have we suddenly become qualified experts in the intricacies and complexities of EU fisheries policy? Or have we unfairly become the victims of the exploitative nature of Green activists?
The present day environmental fisheries lobby, a once radical fringe movement, has suddenly sunk their claws firmly into mainstream European politics. They show no signs of moving. Once a well-intentioned operation, it has become a confused and misguided witch-hunt, condemning fishing industry leaders and politicians, armed only with ecopropaganda and anti-science policies. Only 58 of the 766 total MEPs are members of the Green grouping. So how and why, are we allowing the Green lobby to dictate our fisheries policy?
The Green lobby survive on employing apocalyptic, scare-mongering tactics. They disseminate hysterical slogans arguing that the world’s seabed will be ruined forever if we do not impose a blanket ban on all deep sea fishing. They panic politicians that overwhelming numbers of their constituents have signed a petition to ban discards. We are made to believe that there is no time for debate and we must act now. Such impassioned strategies mobilise naïve do-gooders and prompt decision-makers into knee-jerk reactions, without debating the potentially catastrophic consequences. These issues certainly do need our immediate attention but we must act sensibly and legislate appropriately.
Green must be good
We are persuaded that if it’s green, it must be good. Whether well-intentioned or not, such initial passion for an environmental conscience is ultimately lost among fossil-fuelled convenience and only the fishermen are left to face the consequences.
Such tactics have led to unfair hate campaigns across the EU specifically targeting advocates of the fishing industry. The most recent, the Fish Fight campaign, led by TV chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, propped up by the Green lobby, brought to the masses the horrendous practice of discarding perfectly edible fish overboard. Those who rallied the UK general public against ‘useless politicians in Brussels’ failed to mention those who had campaigned relentlessly for years against this abhorrent practice. Eventually Hugh’s gung-ho blanket ban on discards was picked apart by the scientific community and he soon realised why a ban was not as easy as first thought. Thankfully, Brussels agreed that a blanket ban would not work and has now implemented a sound discard ban targeting specific areas with a phased-in timeframe. Yet, once Hugh’s own campaign had run out of steam, he decided to promote an unresearched yet spirited campaign for areas of sea to be closed from fishing arbitrarily. He was quietly given a dressing down by WWF and has seemingly given up. Whilst he must be applauded for his efforts, albeit media-fuelled, ignoring and even berating stakeholders and politicians will only alienate the very people who have the power to change things.
Similarly, the recent proposal for a ban on deep sea trawling was hijacked by the NGOs who launched a full blown campaign in widespread media outlets and publicly denounced politicians who disagreed. Newspaper adverts showing naked celebrities with dead fish draped over their bodies appeared in a ‘not in my name’ style attack, towering banners were hung from the rafters in Paris’s Gare du Nord and scathing slander of fishing industry leaders flooded online forums. The proposal, which was not supported by the international scientific community, was narrowly rejected yet would have brought catastrophic consequences to the sector with an immediate 10% of UK active vessels being wiped out instantly. Incessant and inaccurate condemnation of bottom trawls is unreasonable and goes beyond legislative proportionality. An easy digestible one-size-fits-all approach grabs the headlines but is certain annihilation of the sector. Instead, a rational approach incorporating the sector would bring fishermen on board to ensure the sustainability of the sea bed and the deep sea species.
Yet despite such expensive, impassioned lobbying, the misanthropic green movement is barnacled by hyperbole and misjudgement. Huge amounts of money are donated to these causes, ruling out any attempt at sensible compromise. Their objectives, coated in a green veneer, are always grand, heavily funded gestures of bans and restrictions; not the management projects which will actually help fishermen catch sustainably and their coastal communities to thrive. In fact, their disproportionate insistence for shark fin bans, deep sea bans and in fact discard bans could have ruined huge swathes of local fishing communities across Europe.
The Green lobby risks only being viewed as an industry that thrives on exploiting the innocent and well-intentioned. Advocating disproportionate legislation through scaremongering will not protect our oceans. This idealism is not real environmentalism. Real environmentalism should involve the only people who can protect fish stocks; fishermen themselves, who can implement real changes to promote sustainable fishing.
Reproduced from: http://www.worldfishing.net/news101/Comment/analysis/comment-fisheries-and-the-green-lobby-whats-the-real-catch#sthash.TkUsk9Y9.auGkdfF9.dpuf
Sunday 2 March 2014
Friday 28 February 2014
A chance to carve your name in the fishing history logbook!
World Wildlife Fund (WWF) is launching the 2014 International Smart Gear Competition, which seeks and supports innovative solutions to address fisheries bycatch, the unintentional catch of fish and other marine species.
The competition begins Saturday and ends August 31, 2014.
“The Smart Gear Competition aims to spur ideas for environmentally-friendly fishing gear that allows fishermen to fish smarter while helping to maintain ocean health,” stated Bill Fox, Fisheries Vice President at World Wildlife Fund. “In addition to fishermen losing millions of dollars each year due to bycatch, many other species, including endangered marine life, are unintentionally and needlessly killed by antiquated fishing gear and it is jeopardizing their survival.”
The 2014 International Smart Gear Competition will offer its largest prize purse to date, totaling $65,000, including:
A grand prize of $30,000 and two $10,000 runner-up prizes, sponsored by Fondation Segré. In partnership with John West Foods, a $7,500 special prize will be awarded to the idea that identifies a solution to reduce the amount of bycatch found in both purse seine and longline tuna fisheries in the waters of the Western Central Pacific Fisheries Commission. Finally, with the Marine Mammal Commission and the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) sponsorship, a $7,500 special prize that will be awarded to the entry judged to most effectively reduce the bycatch of marine mammals in gillnet fisheries. After the prizes are awarded, WWF works with each of the winners to bring their ideas to life and see them implemented in fisheries around the world.
“Today, more than 40% of the winning ideas identified by the competition in previous years are being used regularly in different types of fisheries,” Fox said.
Since its launch in 2004, the International Smart Gear Competition has demonstrated that conservation and industry can successfully work together to identify and eventually implement solutions to reduce bycatch. Past winners have included specially designed lights that reduce the bycatch of turtles in gillnets, and a device to reduce the bycatch of seabirds on tuna longlines.
This year, the competition is being supported by Fondation Segré, Bumble Bee Foods, John West Foods, the Marine Mammal Commission, NOAA, and WWF. Full details and entry forms are available at www.smartgear.org.
For more information, official competition rules, and instructions on how to enter, visit www.smartgear.org
The International Smart Gear Competition is open to entrants who are at least 18 years old at the time of entry. Employees, directors, agents, current contractors, and relatives of employees and directors of WWF, Marine Mammal Commission, National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Bumble Bee Foods, Fondation Segré, and John West Foods are ineligible. Judges and relatives of judges are also ineligible. The competition is void where prohibited. Odds depend on number of entries received. No purchase is necessary.
The competition begins March 1st, 2014 and ends on August 31st, 2014.
The competition begins Saturday and ends August 31, 2014.
“The Smart Gear Competition aims to spur ideas for environmentally-friendly fishing gear that allows fishermen to fish smarter while helping to maintain ocean health,” stated Bill Fox, Fisheries Vice President at World Wildlife Fund. “In addition to fishermen losing millions of dollars each year due to bycatch, many other species, including endangered marine life, are unintentionally and needlessly killed by antiquated fishing gear and it is jeopardizing their survival.”
The 2014 International Smart Gear Competition will offer its largest prize purse to date, totaling $65,000, including:
A grand prize of $30,000 and two $10,000 runner-up prizes, sponsored by Fondation Segré. In partnership with John West Foods, a $7,500 special prize will be awarded to the idea that identifies a solution to reduce the amount of bycatch found in both purse seine and longline tuna fisheries in the waters of the Western Central Pacific Fisheries Commission. Finally, with the Marine Mammal Commission and the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) sponsorship, a $7,500 special prize that will be awarded to the entry judged to most effectively reduce the bycatch of marine mammals in gillnet fisheries. After the prizes are awarded, WWF works with each of the winners to bring their ideas to life and see them implemented in fisheries around the world.
“Today, more than 40% of the winning ideas identified by the competition in previous years are being used regularly in different types of fisheries,” Fox said.
Since its launch in 2004, the International Smart Gear Competition has demonstrated that conservation and industry can successfully work together to identify and eventually implement solutions to reduce bycatch. Past winners have included specially designed lights that reduce the bycatch of turtles in gillnets, and a device to reduce the bycatch of seabirds on tuna longlines.
This year, the competition is being supported by Fondation Segré, Bumble Bee Foods, John West Foods, the Marine Mammal Commission, NOAA, and WWF. Full details and entry forms are available at www.smartgear.org.
For more information, official competition rules, and instructions on how to enter, visit www.smartgear.org
The International Smart Gear Competition is open to entrants who are at least 18 years old at the time of entry. Employees, directors, agents, current contractors, and relatives of employees and directors of WWF, Marine Mammal Commission, National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Bumble Bee Foods, Fondation Segré, and John West Foods are ineligible. Judges and relatives of judges are also ineligible. The competition is void where prohibited. Odds depend on number of entries received. No purchase is necessary.
The competition begins March 1st, 2014 and ends on August 31st, 2014.
Blustery north west winds hit 50mph which means its a fresh 'n freezing #FishyFriday
Caught pretty much in sight of Lamorna, cracking pollack up for auction...
good to see the Gordon's fish on the market this morning...
along with the Cornishman's haddock, the buyers need all the fish they can get at the moment having had to maintain a workforce with very little fish to handle or process for nearly three months...
always plenty of work for the Cefas boys...
Newlyn Fish keeping an eye on things...
especially these examples of gold dust...
quick fish ID course for the new recruits...
"that's never a large med"...
at 42cm more like a jumbo mackerel...
gets the blue flash light treatment...
another one of those fish vying for the ugly awards, this good looking chap sporting the piscine equivalent of the goatee - the ling...
one of Newlyn's big gill netters lays to the fish market.
Supertrawler Margiris in Irish waters
With a huge kerfuffle in her wake after trying to fish in the waters off the coast of Australia and after steaming half way round the planet the second largest trawler in the world will shortly be making her way up the West coast of Ireland. How will she be received by the boats working in those waters? Where will she land?
Fishing industry has "reason to be optimistic" after minister meeting in London
Fishermen’s leaders say they there is “reason to be optimistic” following a crunch summit with ministers about losses to the industry which it is estimated could run into millions of pounds.
Newlyn-based Paul Trebilcock, chairman of the National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations (NFFO) and chief executive of the Cornish Fish Producers Organisation, led the delegation to speak to George Eustice, fisheries minister and Camborne and Redruth MP. Mr Trebilock said after the meeting in London that it had gone well, although not all their demands had been met.
“It was a positive meeting,” he said. “There was genuine interest from the minister and I think there are reasons to be optimistic.”
The industry leaders had gone into the discussion with the aim of pressing for action in a number of areas, including:
• Immediate access for fishermen to the Government’s small business support scheme for businesses affected by the severe weather
• Gear replacement funding for static gear damaged or lost in the storms
• An announcement on how Government is going to help repair the infrastructures damaged by the storms
• Steps to help fishermen recoup the lost earnings suffered from being unable to go to sea for prolonged periods over December, January and February
• Deferral of the Government’s intention to charge the fishing industry for light dues, a levy which contributes to the cost of lighthouse services.
Mr Trebilcock said fishing communities had been hard hit by the unprecedented storms, which had left boats sunk and beyond repair even if they were moored in a harbour. He said that taking into account the entire industry, from lost earnings for fishermen, due to very few days at sea, processors, markets, transport and gear, the bill could well run into over £1million. The meeting with Mr Eustice secured an important guarantee that fishermen would be able to access a fund set up for businesses affected by flooding and gales.
The minister also told the NFFO delegation that he had instructed officers to expedite applications for European grant money which could be made available. Mr Eustice also told the delegation that he had spoken to ministerial colleagues about harbour repairs and that he understood the importance to the industry. The minister also said he would consider reviewing light due, the levy fishermen pay to help fund the lighthouse service.
Quota guidelines may also be made more flexible to allow for the hiatus in putting out to sea.
However, Mr Trebilcock said there was no commitment to a scheme to fund gear losses. “The minister was interested and wanted to understand about the levels of losses and what could be repaired, but there was no commitment to scheme, although the minister did say he was going to consider it. “I would have liked to have him say that we can have this scheme and that they just have to work out the details, rather than hear him say it is something they could consider. “But overall, it was a good meeting. “The minister was sympathetic and generally interested in the scale of the problem.
He did appear to want to understand but we do need more than sympathy.” Mr Trebilcock said the NFFO and members of the fishing industry in general would be closely monitoring the situation. Fisheries Minister George Eustice said: “The severe weather over recent months has had a significant impact on a number of fishing communities.
“The government has made a £10 million grant fund open to flood affected businesses, and further options are being considered to help fishermen affected by storms.”
Read more: http://www.westernmorningnews.co.uk/Fishing-industry-reason-optimistic-minister/story-20719011-detail/story.html#ixzz2uciSp8Fd
Newlyn-based Paul Trebilcock, chairman of the National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations (NFFO) and chief executive of the Cornish Fish Producers Organisation, led the delegation to speak to George Eustice, fisheries minister and Camborne and Redruth MP. Mr Trebilock said after the meeting in London that it had gone well, although not all their demands had been met.
“It was a positive meeting,” he said. “There was genuine interest from the minister and I think there are reasons to be optimistic.”
The industry leaders had gone into the discussion with the aim of pressing for action in a number of areas, including:
• Immediate access for fishermen to the Government’s small business support scheme for businesses affected by the severe weather
• Gear replacement funding for static gear damaged or lost in the storms
• An announcement on how Government is going to help repair the infrastructures damaged by the storms
• Steps to help fishermen recoup the lost earnings suffered from being unable to go to sea for prolonged periods over December, January and February
• Deferral of the Government’s intention to charge the fishing industry for light dues, a levy which contributes to the cost of lighthouse services.
Mr Trebilcock said fishing communities had been hard hit by the unprecedented storms, which had left boats sunk and beyond repair even if they were moored in a harbour. He said that taking into account the entire industry, from lost earnings for fishermen, due to very few days at sea, processors, markets, transport and gear, the bill could well run into over £1million. The meeting with Mr Eustice secured an important guarantee that fishermen would be able to access a fund set up for businesses affected by flooding and gales.
The minister also told the NFFO delegation that he had instructed officers to expedite applications for European grant money which could be made available. Mr Eustice also told the delegation that he had spoken to ministerial colleagues about harbour repairs and that he understood the importance to the industry. The minister also said he would consider reviewing light due, the levy fishermen pay to help fund the lighthouse service.
Quota guidelines may also be made more flexible to allow for the hiatus in putting out to sea.
However, Mr Trebilcock said there was no commitment to a scheme to fund gear losses. “The minister was interested and wanted to understand about the levels of losses and what could be repaired, but there was no commitment to scheme, although the minister did say he was going to consider it. “I would have liked to have him say that we can have this scheme and that they just have to work out the details, rather than hear him say it is something they could consider. “But overall, it was a good meeting. “The minister was sympathetic and generally interested in the scale of the problem.
He did appear to want to understand but we do need more than sympathy.” Mr Trebilcock said the NFFO and members of the fishing industry in general would be closely monitoring the situation. Fisheries Minister George Eustice said: “The severe weather over recent months has had a significant impact on a number of fishing communities.
“The government has made a £10 million grant fund open to flood affected businesses, and further options are being considered to help fishermen affected by storms.”
Read more: http://www.westernmorningnews.co.uk/Fishing-industry-reason-optimistic-minister/story-20719011-detail/story.html#ixzz2uciSp8Fd
Thursday 27 February 2014
One of those nights
Has to be one of the must see things in life - all the way from Essex, South Wales, Northern Ireland up to the Shetlands people were treated to a display of the Northern Lights tonight - #jealous
STORM SUPPORT MEETING WITH MINISTER - WHERE? WHEN? WITH WHOM?
A National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations (NFFO) delegation is scheduled to meet today (27 February) with Fisheries Minister, George Eustice, to discuss an aid package for the fishing industry, following the unprecedented succession of storms that have affected the fishing industry.
“We have been talking to officials about the possible shape of a rescue package”, said Paul Trebilcock, Chairman of the NFFO, and also Chief Executive of the Cornish Fish Producers Organisation, one of the areas most severely hit by the storms.
“Now, we are meeting with George Eustice to hear what level of political support there is for a realistic and rapid support package. “What is needed is immediate short-term support to put fishing businesses back on their feet. We are not looking for long-term subsidies, but we do believe that government has a responsibility to underpin a return to profitability in these exceptional circumstances. There should also be parity with the treatment afforded to the farming industry. “The kind of support we have been pressing for includes:
Immediate access for fishermen to the Government’s small business support scheme for businesses affected by the severe weather Gear replacement funding for static gear damaged or lost in the storms An announcement on how Government is going to help repair the infrastructures damaged by the storms Steps to help fishermen recoup the lost earnings suffered from being unable to go to sea for prolonged periods over December, January and February
Deferral of the Government’s intention to charge the fishing industry for light dues” “Obviously, fishermen will judge the Government on how much support it is willing to give and how easy it is to access that support. These are exceptional circumstances; although, having said that, when this latest calamity hit, the industry was only just recovering from the losses arising from the unusually cold start to the previous year. “This is an opportunity for the Government to demonstrate its commitment to the fishing industry and to the fishermen who put food on our tables in sometimes very difficult circumstances.”
For more information visit http://www.nffo.org.uk/
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