MEP Stephen Hughes backs Fish Fight chef’s Campaign
Stephen Hughes, Labour’s North East Euro-MP has backed celebrity chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s high profile Fish Fight campaign to Brussels.
Thousands of people from across the North East have backed the Channel 4 star's call for a reform of the EU's Common Fisheries Policy to stop the current practice of discards, which can result in over half the fish caught by a fishing boat being thrown back overboard dead or dying.
Mr Hughes met Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall when he came to Brussels in a push to persuade people from other European countries to get on board the Fish Fight campaign.
The first phase of the campaign had concentrated on British TV viewers following a documentary in January.
Hugh launched the Fish Fight website in 11 different languages and called on Stephen Hughes and his colleagues in the European Parliament to "spread the word" by pushing the campaign out to other countries. He said: "We've been heard loud and clear in the UK...This is phase two of the campaign."
So far over 680,000 people have signed a petition to the European Commission on the subject. "We want to get to a million calling for an end to discards," added the TV chef.
Stephen Hughes has backed a European Parliament declaration calling for changes to EU fishing policy to increase fish stocks and secure a better deal for local fishermen.
He said: "Hugh's Fish Fight campaign has certainly spurred my constituents into taking action and pushing for reform. We now need to make sure that their voices are heard in the corridors of Brussels and Westminster.
"We have to ensure that MEPs listen to people's concerns about the loss of diversity in our seas and the terrible waste caused by current practices.
"We want to see a policy that boosts the fish in our seas and the local communities that depend on them.
"It is clear that Hugh recognises that this isn't going to be an easy battle, but the Fish Fight campaign is certainly helping us make the case for change that will be good for the long-term prospects of our fish and the fishermen who catch them."
ENDS
NOTES FOR EDITORS
People can find out more about the campaign and sign the petition at: http://www.fishfight.net/
Stephen Hughes has backed a European Parliament declaration that calls for a major overhaul of the way European countries manage fish stocks. The declaration has been put forward by a cross-party campaign group that is fighting for changes to increase fish stocks and secure a better deal for local fishermen. The group wants to see a comprehensive reform of EU fishing policy – known as the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) - when it is renegotiated in 2012.
Labour MEPs are also working with Labour shadow ministers in Westminster to lobby the British Government to take a lead in pushing for reform in Europe and putting pressure on retailers to only sell fish from sustainable sources.
Particular concern has been raised about the issue of discards: fish that are caught but would take a fishing vessel over its quota and therefore have to be thrown overboard, even though they are already dead.
