Fresh ban on cod affects fishing industry

Emergency ban on catching cod has affected the fishing industry badly as thousands of fresh caught cod are thrown back in the sea.

Fishermen in UK are facing more than recession as they have to throw back thousands of pounds worth of fresh cod to rot in the sea after the authority impose an emergency ban on catching cod. They said that the Sussex coast was “rife” with large stocks of the nation’s favourite fish.

Even a fishmonger was in the ridiculous position of being able to sell cod from Iceland and Norway, but not local waters. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs imposed the ban amid fears that the species was under threat from overfishing. But Sussex fishermen and fish merchants claimed the Channel was swarming with cod.

It is told that there are 60 or more fishermen in Sussex – that's nearly £20,000 being lost every day. The ban is in place for the whole year. It’s bad enough as it is, but when it comes round to prime cod season in November and December it will really hit hard. According to local fishermen nearly 90 percent of the cod dies in the nets, it's very sad, they are perfectly good fresh cod and they have to be thrown back dead purely to play by the rules.

Peter Huxtable, manager of La Poisonnerie fish market at Shoreham informed that it's quite ridiculous - now I have to sell cod from Iceland and Norway despite the fact there are more cod than ever off the Sussex coast.

Source: The Argus"

WorldFishingToday d. 24-03-2009