New fish labelling scheme will reassure customers
Fish caught off the Dorset coast is to be labelled by the county's biggest seafood wholesaler to boost consumer confidence.
EU agrees to ban fish discards - but not yet
Europe has agreed to end the controversial policy which sees thousands of tonnes of dead fish thrown back into the sea
Greenpeace joins forces with South West fishermen
Small scale fishermen in the South West have joined a Greenpeace campaign to demand reform of the Common Fisheries Policy.
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MMO's reaction to the record fine for fisheries offences
– Danny Poulding, Senior Investigating Officer, Marine Management OrganisationWe are pleased that the court has recognised the seriousness of these offences.
This company systematically abused the quota system for significant and unfair financial gain, threatening the future sustainability of an already vulnerable fish stock and impacting on the businesses of legitimate fishermen by flooding the market with cheaper fish.
The majority of the fishing industry is compliant with the rules that govern its commercial activities, but we will ensure that those who aren’t do not enjoy unfair financial advantage from illegal sales.
Record fine for Spanish fishing firms
A court has ordered a Spanish fishing company, its UK subsidiary and their captains to pay a total of £1.62 million for serious fisheries offences.
This is the highest court order amount ever imposed in a Marine Management Organisation (MMO) fisheries case.
Truro Crown Court handed down the sentence in relation to illegal overfishing of ling and hake, a particularly vulnerable fish stock, between 2009 and 2010 by two fishing vessels – the Spanish-registered Coyo Tercero and UK-registered O’Genita.
Charges brought by the MMO included providing false entries in logbooks and failing to record trans-shipments.
The defendants – masters of the vessels, Jose Antonio Perez Garcia (Coyo Tercero) and Jose Manuel Martinez Sanchez (O’Genita), and the owning companies pleaded guilty to charges at an earlier hearing in Truro on 5 April 2012.
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Green Party calls for immediate ban on throwing fish back
A ban on throwing fish back into the sea needs to be implemented immediately according to the Green Party.
Fishermen have been discarding fish to stop them exceeding their quotas set by Europe. The West Country's fishing industry welcomed a decision this week by the EU Council that the practice should be stopped.
The first phase of the ban will not come into effect until 2014, but the Green Party says the ban must start earlier to help save threatened species.
Fish Discard Ban: Full report
Kathy Wardle reports from Newlyn on how the West Country's fishing industry is welcoming a ban on the controversial policy of throwing fish back into the sea. Our fisherman have had to do it to stop them exceeding their quotas set by Europe.
Fishing industry welcomes ban on discarding surplus fish
The West Country's fishing industry is welcoming a ban on the controversial policy of discarding dead fish caught accidentally. Fisherman have had to do it to stop them exceeding their quotas set by Europe.
But after 24 hours of negotiations, fisheries ministers in Brussels have approved a plan to overturn those rules and allow fishermen to keep the extra fish.
It was also decided that regions should be given more control over managing their fisheries.
The change follows pressure from the UK government and a long public campaign, which has included Westcountry TV chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall.
It's not definite when the ban will come in but it could be two years for mackerel and herring, and more like six years for cod, haddock, plaice and sole.
Fish discard ban: Fisheries Minister welcomes end to "abhorrence"
Fisheries Minister Richard Benyon MP talks about bringing an end to the practice of discarding "perfectly edible fish"
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Fishing boats in Newlyn
Our reporter Kathy Wardle is in Newlyn, covering the story that fishermen are to be banned from throwing surplus fish overboard. There has been a long campaign against the practice.
EU agrees to ban fish discards - but not yet
by Jonathan Gibson
Europe has agreed to end the controversial policy which sees thousands of tonnes of dead fish thrown back into the sea
Read the full storyFishing: Europe agrees a ban on discarding dead fish
The EU council has agreed a ban on fishermen discarding dead fish but no date has been set and it is subject to more negotiations.
Provisional dates would see a ban on mackerel and herring discards by January, 1 2014 and a ban on whitefish discards (cod, haddock, plaice, sole) phased in 12 months later and fully in place by January 1 2018.
Greenpeace Team Up With Fishermen
by Jonathan GibsonToday's top stories
