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Channel 4 and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall have laid down a challenge to “us” (the consumers), the supermarkets, and the associated supply chains that feed our ever growing "omnipresent consuming nature!"

The challenge that we have been presented with is to recognise that it is our “buying patterns” that have contributed to the ridiculous situation in which half of the fish caught in the North Sea are thrown back as “Discard” as there is either no market for them — OR — the market for them has become so "single minded" that the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (and their EU counterparts) imposed “Fishing Quotas” on those particular species that are at risk of depletion by over fishing.

Hastings Big Fish Fight
The issue of “Discard” and “Quotas” is of particular interest to the Hastings Fishing Fleet as since 1983, the European Union has decided how much fish they can catch!

As ever there are two sides to this story as these "Quotas", in part, were introduced to address the issue of “Over Fishing” selective species to meet the ever increasing consumer demand for "White Fish".

But when you fish from a boat that is under 10-meters, and are part of a fishing heritage that has sustainably fished local waters for years and years—the problem of “Quotas” and “Discard” become personal.

Larger quota for smaller boats
Paul Joy, a lifelong fishermen who chairs the Hastings Fishermen's Society, lobbied the government for larger fishing quotas for smaller boats (2009).

Paul was seeking a larger proportion of the quota to be given to the under 10-metre fleet in order to sustain fishing industries (and heritage) across the South East.

He says that in Hastings, 93% of the boats are under 10-metres and they employ 83% of the town's fishing workforce, yet they are only allowed to catch about 30% of the area's cod quota. Paul fears that without a change in policy, fishing communities in Hastings and elsewhere could die out within the next decade, leaving just big commercial trawlers in the industry.

Huge, Paul and Channel 4 tackle WASTE
With the help of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and Channel 4, Paul may soon see his (and our) cherished fishing fleet, once again thrive—and do so, all within a fully “sustainable” fishery.

A defining principal of “sustainability” is the reduction of WASTE! ... Something we have all known as a species since the beginning of time, and something that the “Suits and Boffins” in the EU seem to have forgotten.

If Hugh's Big Fish Fight can both reach the “Hearts, Minds and Stomachs” of the fish consuming public—and, at the same time underline the ridiculous levels of DISCARDED WASTE being created in the name of the EU “Common Fisheries Policy”, we (and Paul) may see our local fishing heritage, local restaurants and shops ... and local fisheries, thrive and grow—all in the name of “Common Sense”.

Please sign up to Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall’s fish campaign at: http://www.fishfight.net/sign-up/ | Top |