Fishing and the EU.

Bill Sikes · Post by **Bill Sikes** » Wed Dec 22, 2004 5:10 am

Well, Brussels have bogged it up again.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jh ... altop.html

Why not just halve (or stop) the sand-eel fishery (1 *million* tons per year!):

http://www.eurocbc.org/FROM%20FISH%20TO%20FODDER.htm

and allow retention of "by-catches" for sale? Is anyone interested in this issue?

gmc · Post by **gmc** » Wed Dec 22, 2004 5:34 am

It's ludicrous we play by the rules and let other nations flout them. Spain and portugal get money to improve their fleet and we scrap ours. The fishing was the price we pay for not joining the eec at the very beginning.

Bill Sikes · Post by **Bill Sikes** » Wed Dec 22, 2004 5:52 am

gmc wrote: It's ludicrous we play by the rules and let other nations flout them. Spain and portugal get money to improve their fleet and we scrap ours. The fishing was the price we pay for not joining the eec at the very beginning.

Ah, there you are, gmc. I'd hoped you'd turn up!. Our control of fishing in the North Sea and other areas was shamefully given up by the odious scumbag Heath when we joined - the problem now is that our government can't easily do anything about it, and the European Commission will not. What do you think should be done?

gmc · Post by **gmc** » Wed Dec 22, 2004 8:12 am

Good question, it would help if our politicians were as bloody minded as the french when it comes to things like this. The SNP use it as one of the planks in their manifesto that we (scotland) would be better off completely independent and working with the smaller nations like Norway to protect our interests. certainly the oil revenues would be nice but it harder to trust scottish politicians than those in westmenster, ours are thick and corrupt rather than just corrupt. Since fishing is an issue for very few constuencies the issue gets ignored. It's not ust the scottish fleet either.

Bill Sikes · Post by **Bill Sikes** » Wed Dec 22, 2004 8:17 am

gmc wrote: Good question, it would help if our politicians were as bloody minded as the french when it comes to things like this. The SNP use it as one of the planks in their manifesto that we (scotland) would be better off completely independent and working with the smaller nations like Norway to protect our interests. certainly the oil revenues would be nice but it harder to trust scottish politicians than those in westmenster, ours are thick and corrupt rather than just corrupt. Since fishing is an issue for very few constuencies the issue gets ignored. It's not ust the scottish fleet either.

I was wondering whether anyone had ideas about by-catches and their dumping, sand eels and their fishing for industrial uses... compare the situation to that of the Grand Banks (off Newfoundland).

capt_buzzard · Post by **capt_buzzard** » Wed Dec 22, 2004 3:20 pm

Bring out the Navy to protect your fisheries.

Der Wulf · Post by **Der Wulf** » Wed Dec 22, 2004 11:41 pm

As Bill mentioned, the US, and Canada have much the same type issues, my interest is in watching the manipulations of the EU.

Bill Sikes · Post by **Bill Sikes** » Fri Dec 24, 2004 3:19 am

gmc wrote: Good question, it would help if our politicians were as bloody minded as the french when it comes to things like this. The SNP use it as one of the planks in their manifesto that we (scotland) would be better off completely independent and working with the smaller nations like Norway to protect our interests. certainly the oil revenues would be nice but it harder to trust scottish politicians than those in westmenster, ours are thick and corrupt rather than just corrupt. Since fishing is an issue for very few constuencies the issue gets ignored. It's not ust the scottish fleet either.

So the SNP is for independance outside the "E.U."? Norway is not a member, although I seem to remember that it has a "free trade agreement" (IMO this is a happy state to be in).

gmc · Post by **gmc** » Fri Dec 24, 2004 7:48 am

posted by bill sikes

I was wondering whether anyone had ideas about by-catches and their dumping, sand eels and their fishing for industrial uses... compare the situation to that of the Grand Banks (off Newfoundland).

Industrial fishing is sheer stupidity, they are wiping out stocks further down the food chain with no concern for the long term consequences. Must confess I don't know about the Grand banks. It is not a sublject i would profess any great knowledge.

It would not be the first time overfishing has killed of an industry only for it to recover later.

http://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/u ... /ullapool/

The aim was to exploit a boom in herring fishing at the time. This peaked and then, in an early example of overfishing, declined from the 1830s. By 1900 the enterprise was judged a failure leaving this nice grid plan town with little economic activity and fewer prospects.

Herring was overfished that's one of the reasons cod became popular. What is different is the sheer efficiency of the boats now.

posted by bill sikes

So the SNP is for independance outside the "E.U."? Norway is not a member, although I seem to remember that it has a "free trade agreement" (IMO this is a happy state to be in).

Not with the numpties we have for politicians in Scotland in charge (not to mention the two in NO 10 & 11 Downing street)

Bill Sikes · Post by **Bill Sikes** » Fri Dec 24, 2004 8:02 am

gmc wrote: Industrial fishing is sheer stupidity, they are wiping out stocks further down the food chain with no concern for the long term consequences.

I feel the same about dumping by-catches, or fish for which the quota has been exceeded... what *ever* is the point of throwing dead fish back in the sea! The only "good thing" is the recent adjustment to net mesh size.