Europe to legalise Pulse Fishing

close
more_vert
Howburn Digger H
Howburn Digger Mar 30, 2018 19:18:45
Replying to nigelswift

nigelswift wrote:
Currently:
"As it stands... Belgium’s 402 fishermen and their 65 boats, whose main catch is dover sole, are more dependent on those (British) waters than most."

On a practical level there WILL be bad blood on a continuing basis - which is hardly conducive to a reasonable wider settlement or a request for support over Salisbury.
Also, we're walking away from rational international co-operation based on scientific advice where sensible compromise is possible and talking about gunboats for Christ's sake. I guess I'm entitled to feel that's shameful.

No-one is walking away from a rational international co-operation based on scientific advice. There will be a rational understanding of British waters. And that will be understood internationally. Scientific advice will continue from scientists. As before, fleets and boats from other countries will be able to apply to fish British Waters for the appropriate fee and under license. This was always robustly policed, as there has never in the history of Europe been "sensible compromise" when it came to some people and countries appropriating other countries and other people's property. It is called Law Enforcement. It stop people breaking down your door, stealing your telly and punching your children.

It looks like Belgium did not actually have a sustainable fishing industry to begin with, it is almost entirely based on fishing British waters. However, like before they can apply for licenses and pay for them. Similarly, EU rules presided over the dismantling of many UK industries. The EU did not shed a tear over a single job, livelihood or community lost in the UK by their actions, rulings and interventions. I shall not weep for the Belgian Fishermen just as they didn't weep for the Scottish Fleets scuttled by EU laws and regulation.

Go ahead and feel shameful for the Belgians.

H Howburn Digger
Howburn Digger Mar 30, 2018 20:28:31
Replying to Howburn Digger

Just in case anyone is wondering the value of the catches made by the Belgian Fishing Fleet (65 boats) out of British Waters. As a rough guide, a 27 boat fleet from say Gardenstown might land around £100 Million over the year. So the Belgians might be looking at a £250 Million loss in the future. Or they can do what the rest of the world does... and Buy a Fishing Permit from the UK. Easy peasy... but that is not what this is about.

British (and particularly Scottish) Pelagic fleets have much higher overheads than those of the Belgian Sole Scoopers. The Belgians want to continue slurping at the easy trough. Recent weirdness towards the Shetland Mackerel Fleet is a prime example of how Brussels and London can (with their fingers in their ears and shouting "La La La" very loudly) use regulation, enforcement and rule-mongering to wring the life out of a fine sustainable fishery. Not only does the Shetland Pelagic Fleet now have to land around 50% of their quota in January alone, but they have to then return at least half of those catches to remote designated landing ports (incurring massive road transportation costs) and some Scottish Processing Plants which cannot cope with the massive glut of Mackerel over those few short weeks.

Through constriction, inflexibility and the enforcing of ever more twisted regulation, Brussels and the EU hopes to continue and complete what they started... the total eradication of the UK Fishing Industry to be replaced with Belgian Sole Scoopers and Dutch Pulse Blitzing.

N nigelswift
nigelswift Mar 30, 2018 20:29:59
Replying to Howburn Digger

No, what I think is shameful is turning our national clock back to a situation that appeals to Daily Mail readers.