The Danish industrialized fishery has gone out of control – one vessel after another is grounded and reported to the police.

The crucial point in this case however is not how many vessels are revealed by the fishery inspection and tied to the quay with illegal catches of herring, haddock, cod fish, whiting, etc. The crucial point is that the industrialized fishery has only two options: either the fishermen take the illegal fish with them ashore, or they throw it back into the sea. The result is the same. The industrialized fishery is the cause of a vast mortality in the mentioned species, and therefore it should be stopped.

Any reasonable talk about restoration of the stocks of haddock and cod fish is silenced by the huge by catches in the industrialized fishery.

In the next week, the Danish EU chairmanship must create agreement on the new European fishery reform, and it must create agreement on very significant cuts in the quotas of cod fish, haddock and other fish for consumption. This work should not and cannot be carried through at the same time as there is every day coming in new reports to the police about illegal fishery from the harbours on the Danish West coast.

The Danish minister of food has to realize the truth – that major parts of the industrialized Danish fishery cannot coexist with the EU fishery reform, and are entirely unable to meet the plans of restorations of several of the fish stocks of the North Sea .

For more information:

The Danish Society for A Living Sea

Juelsgårdvej 27, Ferring Strand

7620 Lemvig

www.levende-hav.dk

mail llh@levende-hav-dk

Phone: + 45 97 89 54 55