"We're wasting a million tonnes of fish" 22.11.07

A WHOPPING 1.3 million tonnes of fish are dead fish are discarded in the Irish sea every year, a Donegal senator has revealed. Senator Cecilia Keaveney yesterday expressed her "astonishment" at the amount, which for some species, represents between 31% and 90% of the total catch.

She said such was was unacceptable and called for a "fish mountain" to help people in need of food. “It simply does not make sense to have dead fish thrown overboard boats just so that they are not a cause of fishermen being prosecuted for breaches of quota," Senator Keaveney said in an address to the Minister of State for Fisheries, John Brown. “One definite wrong that cannot go
on as it is, is the waste of good food, when in many places people still go hungry. "Perhaps by landing and recording the fish, we could sell them and donate the money to those who need it. We could create a fish mountain akin to the beef mountain of old, so that those who need it would get it," she added. The Moville based member of Seanad Eireann said figures now showed that 13% of international catches are abandoned overboard. "This is not helping conservation. We should not reward anyone for fishing beyond a quota but we also have to deal with the reality of what the sea gives to the nets." Greencastle Harbour is currently undergoing a €36m redevelopment. Senator Keaveney said people wanted a future for fishing. "We want fish caught and sold. I understand the issue of quotas but agree with all who say that Ireland could only gain from a total review of the common fisheries policy," she added.
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