thomas davison Party Leader
Joined: 03 Jun 2005 Posts: 4018 Location: northumberland
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Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2012 8:09 am Post subject: SPANISH FISH OUR SEAS DRY, ANOTHER REASON TO BE OUT OF EU |
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Foreign-owned trawlers taking a third of our fish in flagrant abuse of strict quota system
�Current British fish stocks 90 per cent lower than a century ago
By Daily Mail Reporter
PUBLISHED: 01:31, 20 August 2012 | UPDATED: 01:34, 20 August 2012
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A third of the fish caught in British waters are being landed abroad by foreign fishermen, it was claimed yesterday.
Trawlers owned abroad � but flying British flags � are accused of taking the fish away from the country in a flagrant abuse of our strict quota system.
Across Europe fish stocks are in long-term decline, with current British levels estimated to be 90 per cent lower than a century ago.
Abusing the system: Foriegn-owned trawlers are accused of taking fish away from Britain
Many blame the Spanish for accelerating the process.
The foreign fishing companies are allowed to register their vessels in the UK and then buy or lease fishing quotas that were meant to be for British boats.
It is reported that, under this system, just five Spanish ships registered in one county are allowed to catch more hake in British waters than the entire Scottish trawler fleet.
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The Spanish vessels reportedly have quotas for 1,650 tons of hake, compared with the Scottish fleet�s allowance of 1,570 tons.
According to government records, the five ships are part of 15 Spanish-controlled trawlers �based� in Fleetwood, Lancashire � but which are said to never land their catch there. One of the vessels registered in the once-thriving port is the O Genita, which fishes from a UK quota.
It is owned by the Vidal family, who were recently ordered to pay fines and costs of �1.62million for illegal fishing.
A judge at Truro Crown Court (above) last month accused a group of foreign skippers and employers of 'systematic and repeated abuse' of limits imposed to protect British fish stocks
Passing the sentence at Truro Crown Court in Cornwall last month, Judge Graham Cottle accused the skippers and their employers of �systematic, repeated and cynical abuse� of the limits imposed to protect British fish stocks.
According to the latest figures compiled by the Marine Management Organisation, British-registered fishing boats landed 606,000 tons of sea fish in the UK and abroad last year, worth �719million.
About a third of this � 196,000 tons � was landed overseas.
Critics say that even when foreign boats land their catch in British ports, the fish are loaded straight into lorries and taken abroad.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said: �It is vital that Britain continues to receive a benefit from all UK registered boats. We are reviewing the policy to ensure this remains the case.�
If their caught fine them and sink the boat WITH THEM ON BOARD as part of the fine, better still get out of the EU, send the 2.5 million EU workers who are here home then we will be on our way to a bright future again. |
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