Tag Archives: UK
Fishing: The Great Betrayal
The Common Fisheries Policy began as a land (or rather, sea) grab, evolved into a stitch-up and grew into an environmentally devastating and commercially disastrous scandal. The EU, UK government and avaricious commercial interests are all to blame – and we’re far from being out of the woods yet. >click to read< 18:57
Jimmy Buchan warns no-deal Brexit ‘will hurt’ Scottish fishing industry
The warnings come just days after the final round of scheduled talks between London and Brussels broke off, with EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier accusing his opposite number, David Frost, of not showing “any true will” to reach a deal. Since the outset of negotiations the EU has demanded “status quo” access to UK waters, which would essentially mean a continuation of the common fisheries policy, something that has been categorically rejected by Boris Johnson. Jimmy Buchan, chief executive of the Scottish Seafood Association, told the Commons environment committee that, despite the differences, a deal must be done “no question”. >click to read< 16:57
British fishermen should be able to double their catch in UK waters under new deal with EU
The intervention has come as fishing rights look set to dominate the fourth round of talks on a post-Brexit trade deal with the EU. The country’s fishermen’s federations said they backed the UK Government’s uncompromising stance in ruling out any extension to the transition period, which ends in December, saying any further delay to leaving the hated Common Fisheries Policy[CFP] would only prolong the uncertainty that the sector had suffered since the 2016 EU referendum. >click to read< 12:48
Boris fires back at EU’s ‘wishful thinking’ amid fears UK ready to surrender on fishing – Boris Johnson’s official spokesman stepped in amid reports of a potential compromise agreement over future access to the UK’s territorial waters. Michel Barnier, the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator, has signalled he is ready to give ground on his “maximalist” position that calls for the same level of access to UK waters as in the Common Fisheries Policy. The Frenchman could agree to a Norway-style fisheries treaty, with annual negotiations on quota shares and access,,, >click to read<
Distraught UK fishermen face wipe out over coronavirus and EU
The British fishing industry could be “wiped out” because of the coronavirus outbreak keeping fishermen from selling their products to the wider public. The British and Scottish Governments have both issued guidance and rolled out new policies in a bid to help the fishing industry survive the crisis but fishermen have warned their policies may not be enough. Scottish trawler Alistair Sinclair told the Today programme: “We don’t really know what is ahead of us. “There’s no light at the end of the tunnel. We may get to the point where boats are of little value. “Everything we’ve worked for through our life to get where we are today could be erased like rubber on a piece of paper.” >click to read< 07:21
An inspiration behind the Brexit campaign – Tributes paid to North-east fishing stalwart Tom Hay
Hundreds gathered in Peterhead on Saturday to pay tribute to ex-Fishermen’s Association Limited chair Tom Hay, who died on March 8. John Ashworth, leader of Save Britain’s Fish and FFL, said: “I knew Tom through business (although not that well) before we joined forces through the Save Britain’s Fish campaign. It all started 28 years ago when representatives of the Scottish Industry came down to York for a training meeting. “I met them at the railway station and took them to their Hotel. Later I spoke to them all about my concerns for our industry. “From that day Tom commenced a journey of outstanding leadership and courage against all odds. >click to read< 13:59
The sad passing of Tom Hay – An inspiration behind the Brexit campaign
Fishing For Leave has paid tribute to industry stalwart Tom Hay who has died followiong a year’s fight with dementia. Save Britain’s Fish and Fishermen’s Association Limited’s ex-chair Tom died on Sunday, March 8 with his funeral taking place in Peterhead on Saturday. >click to read< 15:32
As both sides crank up the rhetoric, UK to outline post-Brexit trade vision. France warns both sides could ‘rip each other apart’
The UK is expected to contest the bloc’s demands that Britain stick closely to EU rules in exchange for access to European markets. It comes as France has warned that the two parties risk tearing themselves apart during the talks,, On Sunday the French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian used strong language while predicting that tense negotiations lie ahead.,, The EU wants to keep access to British waters for European fishing boats, and leaders have suggested the issue will be linked to other matters such as financial services in the upcoming talks. >click to read< 08:46
Small-scale fishing families are under threat.
In the UK their vessels make up 80% of the nation’s fishing fleet yet they receive only 4% of the total national fishing quota. On the other side of the Atlantic, Newfoundland fisheries have been downsized in response to fisheries closures in the early 1990s. In both locations people who depend upon this industry have been left vulnerable. This includes thousands of women who are vital to the survival of small-scale fishing businesses. To explore and raise their profile, Women in Fisheries’ research project will examine women’s roles, identities and wellbeing in fishing families. >click to read<11:00
Minister calls for clarity on post-Brexit fishing industry ahead of crunch talks
The UK Government is being urged to “come clean” on its plans for the fishing industry after Brexit as ministers prepare for “difficult” quota talks. Holyrood Rural Economy Secretary Fergus Ewing said all parties must work together in the run-up to crucial European fishing talks in December. He claimed uncertainty over what will happen when the UK leaves the European Union was being compounded by “confusion” from the UK Government over any transition period. The talks in Edinburgh on Friday, which also include representatives from the Welsh and Northern Irish administrations, are “an opportunity to show we are all fully focused on the needs and interests of our respective fishing industries,” he added. click here to read the story 18:32
Fisheries Minister George Eustice announces new protections for lobster stocks
New protections to improve the long-term sustainability of England’s shellfish industry and support the next generation of fishermen have been announced by Fisheries Minister George Eustice. From Sunday (1 October), fishermen will no longer be able to land egg-bearing (‘berried’) lobsters and crawfish in English waters – a move that will protect the species until their eggs have hatched. The UK is leading the way in Europe in providing this new protection for shellfish – with a proposal for similar action to ban the landing of berried lobsters across the EU currently in discussion. click here to read the story 11:16
World Wide Phenomenon – Fishermen in the South West braced for damaging cut in EU quotas
Jim Portus, chief executive of South Western Fish Producer Organisation, said “things were looking pretty bad” and blamed Government cuts to the number of research voyages which he claimed had not correctly assessed fish stocks. European fisheries policy sets quotas to achieve what it calls Maximum Sustainable Yield – essentially the point at which fishing would not affect whether a species could thrive. Read more here 06:35
European Commission proposes fishing opportunities in the Atlantic and North Sea for 2015
The European Commission has today proposed fishing opportunities for 2015 for the Atlantic and the North Sea. This is the annual proposal for the amount of fish which can be caught by EU fishermen from the main commercial fish stocks next year and it is for the first time based on the new Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). Read the rest here 11:31
Another fishing industry bashing article – this time it’s fuel subsidy
Here are some excerpts from the recent Guardian’s fuel subsidy article: “Fuel subsidies ‘drive fishing industry’s plunder of the high seas’ Spain, France, UK, US and Japan among countries giving generous fuel subsidies enabling industrial fishing far offshore, says Global Ocean Commission Read more here 10:06
Thai shrimp supplier dismisses alleged links to slave labour
Thai food giant Charoen Pokphand (CP) Foods fended off allegations it was complicit in forced labour (slavery) in its supply chain, levelled by a British newspaper, a report said Saturday. Read more here 11:50
Revealed: Asian slave labour producing prawns for supermarkets in US, UK
A six-month investigation has established that large numbers of men bought and sold like animals and held against their will on fishing boats off Thailand are integral to the production of prawns (commonly called shrimp in the US) sold in leading supermarkets around the world, including the top four global retailers: . Read more here 12:28
Are there ecological merits to trawling the seabed?
Trawling the seabed for fish is an environmental disaster; it wrecks ecosystems, destroys fish stocks and leaves behind a marine desert. Right? Environment campaigners say so. But there is growing evidence that the effect is sometimes very different, with trawling increasing fish stocks from the North Sea to the California coast. A new modelling study may for the first time have demonstrated why. more@newscientist 06:44
