Examination of Witnesses (Questions 200-202)
MR BEN
BRADSHAW, MR
RODNEY ANDERSON
AND MR
CHRIS RYDER
8 DECEMBER 2004
Q200 Chairman: What is
the British position on the industrial fishing and what is likely
to emerge on industrial fishing? I think it is fair to say that
the industry is not going to have much faith in any European conservation
plan if industrial fishing is allowed to continue.
Mr Bradshaw: If,
Chairman, you are talking about fishing for stocks which are not
used for human consumption, we—
Q201 Chairman: Well, fishing
for eels and other stocks as a by-catch which is then fed to fish
to sustain fish farming.
Mr Bradshaw: Well,
we have long opposed the level of industrial fishing and we are
pleased to see advice, although we have to wait for the Commission's
advice on sand eels, for example, for a dramatic cut next year.
I personally am also concerned more broadly about the sustainability
of industrial fishing, not just within the EU, but globally. That
is not to say that all industrial fishing is unsustainable, but
I think there are very serious issues for us to face up to both
within the European Union and also internationally and issues
as well for the agriculture industry in terms of the sustainability
of the feed used in fish farming. Again this is an area which
did not get much highlighted in the media today or yesterday,
but the Royal Commission has quite a lot to say about this, and
the Strategy Unit less so because it concentrated on the commercial
sector more, but it is a very, very big issue. There is great
potential for agriculture to help resolve some of the problems
we are seeing with the fall in stocks of wild fish, if you like,
but at the same time there are quite serious sustainability
issues there both environmental and related to industrial fishing.
Q202 Chairman: Well, thank
you very much, Minister. We have had a very interesting session,
I hope you agree. You have certainly given us clear answers and
very helpful answers which will be of enormous value in compiling
our report. We are very grateful to you and to your officials.
Thank you very much indeed.
Mr Bradshaw: It
is a pleasure, thank you.
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