Public backing for a ban on discarding edible fish at sea has been thwarted by the reluctance of the fishing industry and the government to put an end to the wasteful practice, the House of Lords has found. Lord Krebs, a committee member, told the Guardian: “Everyone thinks [the discard ban] is a great idea, and a part of sustainable fishing. “Although the landing obligation has applied to a number of UK fish stocks since 2015, we heard no evidence that fishers have been complying with it, or that any serious attempts have been made to enforce it,” he said. A fisheries bill setting out how the UK will manage its stocks after Brexit also aims to prevent fleets discarding fish. “Although the campaign to end discarding came from the UK, it is now policy across the EU that all fish caught must be landed – even undersized catches.

Source: The Guardian February 08, 2019 11:33 UTC