We are asking you, personally, for your financial support for our Campaign to reform the EU’s Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). 

            Fish stocks in the North East Atlantic are in a very serious condition.  The EU, which administers the Common Fisheries Policy, has admitted that 88% of our commercial fish stocks are over-fished and 30% of these fish stocks are now actually facing commercial extinction.  This means that if genuine, effective reform is not undertaken now there will be no fish in 10 years time.

            We have therefore launched a campaign to fight for a Reform of the CFP which will restore fish stocks to their historic levels, and deliver a marine management system which will guarantee that this absurd, dangerous position never re-occurs again.

            We will secure this by persuading the EU Council of Ministers, Commission and Parliament that the Common Fisheries Policy is obligated to obey EU Law.  EU Law, in the form of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive 2008,  actually requires all commercial fish stocks and marine food webs to be in a sound and healthy condition by 2020.  Yet, the Common Fisheries Policy is under no legal obligation to meet the requirements of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive ! 

            This is not acceptable.  Therefore our CFP Reform Campaign will persuade Ministers, MEPs and European civil servants that the CFP must obey EU Law.  To enable us to do this, we will organising a web-based international symposium – Seaposium – which will record all the scientific evidence.  We will use this scientific evidence to secure the support of environmental NGOs, and all who have responsibility for the CFP,  to compel the EU government to reform the CFP.  We will go to the Court of Justice if necessary and the Environmental Law Foundation has agreed to support us.

            This Campaign is our last chance to save our fish stocks.  There will not be another chance.  The facts tell us that, in ten years time, all commercial fish stocks will be extinct.  This is not scaremongering.  All leading marine scientists agree.  Therefore we must act now.

            We need funds for this Campaign.  We have asked others to fund this campaign, but everyone else has other priorities.  Therefore the task of raising the money and fighting this campaign is down to us.   So, we need you to support us and for each of you to donate £10 (or whatever you can) to MARINET.  Please make your donation (cheque) payable to MARINET, and send to the Marinet Co-ordinator:  Allington House, Allington, Chippenham, Wiltshire SN14 6 LN.  And, thank you.

Newsletter No. 34, July 2010.