Wednesday January 21, 2015
Author: Lewis Smith
Sixty marine scientists have signed an open letter urging the fisheries minister, George Eustice, to stop Spanish and French fishermen damaging wildlife in the deep sea.
The scientists were joined by MPs in demanding an end to bottom trawling below 600 metres in all European waters. The Tory MP Richard Benyon, a former fisheries minister, and the former Labour environment minister Ben Bradshaw are also planning to write to Mr Eustice.
Mr Benyon said the economics of deep sea bottom trawling “don’t stand up”, with much of the European fleet heavily subsidised. He added: “This is the UK’s marine heritage that is being damaged into destruction but the vast majority is by other nations’ fishers.”