Struan Stevenson MEP

Struan Stevenson, the Conservative spokesman for fisheries in the European Parliament, has commented on today’s EU fishing quota meeting.

Ministers are meeting in Brussels to discuss the quotas for next year, following proposals by the European Commission to cut the quota on cod, herring, haddock and whiting by 25%.  A 7% increase in North Sea sole will also be discussed.

Straun commented: “Fishermen dread this annual meeting.  In a matter of hours, the fate of British fishermen could be sealed in a misguided effort to preserve stocks through micro-management from Brussels.

“A decade of failed fisheries policies has only served to destroy thousands of jobs across the fishing industry, yet fish stocks continue to plummet.

Discarding fish during a food crisis, just to appease Brussels desk-jockeys, is morally unjust.

Struan Stevenson

“The introduction of a kilowatt-day system – a highly complex method of linking engine power to the number of hours fished – on top of the other plethora of controls already in place will not provide the solution to our difficulties.

“The best way for the EU to show it is serious about protecting fish stocks would be to ban fish discards immediately so that a million tonnes of fish is not thrown back into the sea.  Discarding fish during a food crisis, just to appease Brussels desk-jockeys, is morally unjust.”