The Danish Society for a Living Sea is a non-political society, trying to establish a public national and international debate about the sea environment – and thus, also about a sustainable utilisation of the sea resources.

Living Sea have 350 members 70 of them is active fishermen.

The Society has spoken for the ecologically sensible fishery and for the coastal fishery in Denmark. Our severe critique of the fishery for sand eel and of the ruthless trawl and seine fishery, has led the Danish Fishery Association to threaten to expel the fishermen members of the Society from their Association.

We are convinced that the fishery for sand eel is threatening the fishery of edible fish – and we are supported by fishermen and scientists from England and Scotland. The Danish sand eel industry and Danish scientists have elaborated a report in 1999, concluding that the sand eel fishery is sustainable. But the report does not mention other species’ dependence on the sand eel as food. This is quite understandable, because this aspect has not been investigated. Until an investigation has been conducted by an international team of scientists, the fishery for sand eel must be considered un-sustainable, measured in relation to the sea environment.

The Danish Fishery Association is the main organisation, organising all type of fishermen in Denmark. The association receives all  funding reserved for fishermen’s organisations and consultations. Therefore, it is definitely not in-significant for Living Sea members, if the association expels from their organisation.

No matter how the incident ends, it proves that middle age values still exist in Danish fishery. It is incompatible with modern commercial politics to rip people of their freedom of associating – only because they are being critical. Nevertheless, this is the situation in Denmark.

Therefore, it might be a good idea for the critical, Danish fishermen to look for partners over the sea to other countries, across national boundaries, within EU. We believe that the European coastal fishermen share common problems, and that they would benefit from associating, and finding common solutions to both their national and international problems. This goal we seek to accomplish through the project ECOast Fish. For more information www.levende-hav.dk