UK Opposes Proposed North Sea Fishing Ban

[Fishing Forum Admin]

UK Opposes Proposed North Sea Fishing Ban
Scotland on Sunday - Edinburgh,Scotland,UK

Britain will not support a fishing ban in parts of the North Sea, Environment Minister Ben Bradshaw said today.

Speaking ahead of a meeting of EU fisheries ministers in Brussels next week, Mr Bradshaw said cod stocks were showing signs of recovery and there was no need for such drastic action.

His pledge comes after the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution earlier this month recommended that almost a third of UK waters become marine reserves and protected from fishing to improve the environment and save threatened fish species.

Now the European Commission is calling for closure in an area that accounts for 40% of cod catches, mostly east of Shetland.

However Mr Bradshaw told a London news conference he was not against closed areas in principle, it was more a question of timing. READ MORE >>