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WWF's More Fish Campaign

Press Release
For Immediate Release

27 August 2011

CATHERINE STIHLER MEP BACKS WWF’S MORE FISH CAMPAIGN

Catherine Stihler MEP today publicly gave her backing to WWF’s More Fish campaign, which is demanding real and effective reform of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP).
 
On Monday 8 August Catherine Stihler MEP met in Pittenweem with WWF staff and with constituents to talk about the problems associated with the CFP and discussed 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 long term future for the communities that depend on them.
 
Momentum is building for reform of the CFP, with the Commission’s proposals recently published on 13 July and MEPs debating the reform package in the Autumn.  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 discards of edible fish. This is a once in a decade opportunity to fix this ‘broken’ policy.   

Mrs Stihler said:

“We cannot make the mistakes of the past and allow Scottish seas to become graveyards.  We need a science-led approach which puts a stop to the wasteful practice of discarding fish into the sea.  There is no sustainability in this measure and I am fully supportive of the WWF 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.”