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David Martin backs WWF's 'More Fish' Campaign

David Martin MEP today (17 October)  publicly gave his backing to WWF’s More Fish campaign, which is demanding real and effective reform of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP).

More Fish CampaignMr Martin met Shellene from WWF to talk about the problems associated with the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) and discuss how to solve them under the reform process.

Fisheries make up a substantial part of the Scottish coastal economy, so it is in our interests to ensure that the reform of the CFP improves the health of Scottish seas and fish stocks, guaranteeing a longterm future for the communities that depend on them.

Momentum is building for reform of the CFP, with the European Commission’s proposals recently published on 13 July and MEPs debating the reform package in the Autumn and Spring of 2012.  Ministers and MEPs across Europe will have the chance to shape the reform of the CFP and WWF will be calling on Ministers and Parliamentarians across Europe to take the Commission’s  proposal  as  a  starting  point  for  a  more  ambitious  and  conservation-minded reform.  Only their political  commitment  to  a  transformation  of  Europe’s  fisheries  management can ensure the recovery of Europe’s fish stocks and lead to more stable jobs for fishermen and a profitable industry.
 

The Common Fisheries Policy to date has led to overfishing and the large scale discarding of edible fish.  This is a once in a decade opportunity to fix this ‘broken’ policy.  

 David Martin, Scotland’s senior MEP said:

“When I was at school you often heard classmates say ‘oh don’t worry, there are plenty more fish in the sea’ - that’s not true anymore.  We have had to come to the startling realisation that even the oceans are not limitless and the number of fish is limited.  Having just visited the wonderfully renovated Scottish Museum with my own children we are hugely aware of how important healthy fish and a healthy fishing industry is to Scotland, Europe and the World.  I will be taking the message from WWF and the Scottish people back to Brussels and Strasbourg to make sure the European Parliament gets behind this campaign.“


Dr Richard Dixon, Director of WWF Scotland said:

“Fishing plays an important role in Scotland’s economy so it is crucial we safeguard its future.  Our More Fish campaign aims to fix the broken CFP so everyone will benefit from healthy fish stocks in the longer term - from fishermen and the local communities that depend on healthy seas to the people that enjoy eating fish.  Although Scotland is making strides in fisheries management under the Scottish Conservation Credit Scheme, 70% of European fish stocks are still overfished, iconic species are disappearing and coastal communities are being run down.  We can fix this problem if there is the political will to do so.  The more people that sign our petition, the stronger the message being sent to the European Parliament to take reforming fisheries seriously.”

 

http://www.wwfscotland.org.uk/morefish