Fishfight
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- Barbara Good
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Fishfight
Yet again I find myself impressed with HFW. Finished watching Hugh's Fishfight last night. Although I was aware of the issues he raised, bravo for bringing it to general attention again. Britain's attitude to fish never fails to astound me. How is it that we live on an island where you are never more than 2/3 hours away from the coast yet we largely ignore all but three species? One of which doesn't even come from our surrounding seas. In fact not even the seas on our side of the world. I think the attempts to get people to eat mackrel baps highlights the major problem with getting Britain change our fish eating habits. For some reason people wont try something other than cod, salmon or tuna. Why?
On top of that is the apparent lack of choice in our slightly inland fish sellers. In Dursley, our local "market" town (I've "...."'d the word market because calling Dursley a market town is a joke but thats a rant for another day!) you can buy fish from a number of supermarkets, the cheap frozen red one, the slightly more ethical orange one or the evil blue and white stripey one. None supply any of the more sustainable species (Orange one does at least have pole and line mackrel) The biggest joke for me is the van that sets up under the market hall on a Wednesday morning. It comes all the way from Grimsby!! Look up Dursley on the map, you can hire a sea fishing boat youself only 45min away in Portishead. The van still rarely has anything more exciting than the odd flatfish.
The celeb chefs and HFW are on to a good thing but I think the biggest obstical comes down to our a) lack of willingness to try different fish and b) the big supermarkets unwillingness to supply them. Which leads me nicely to my enjoyment in watching the blue and white stripey labels guy squirm as he watched footage of his suppliers confirming that they've caught dolphins, turtles and sharks. Then I was exasperated (spelling?!?!) at his arrogance over the labelling issue.
On top of that is the apparent lack of choice in our slightly inland fish sellers. In Dursley, our local "market" town (I've "...."'d the word market because calling Dursley a market town is a joke but thats a rant for another day!) you can buy fish from a number of supermarkets, the cheap frozen red one, the slightly more ethical orange one or the evil blue and white stripey one. None supply any of the more sustainable species (Orange one does at least have pole and line mackrel) The biggest joke for me is the van that sets up under the market hall on a Wednesday morning. It comes all the way from Grimsby!! Look up Dursley on the map, you can hire a sea fishing boat youself only 45min away in Portishead. The van still rarely has anything more exciting than the odd flatfish.
The celeb chefs and HFW are on to a good thing but I think the biggest obstical comes down to our a) lack of willingness to try different fish and b) the big supermarkets unwillingness to supply them. Which leads me nicely to my enjoyment in watching the blue and white stripey labels guy squirm as he watched footage of his suppliers confirming that they've caught dolphins, turtles and sharks. Then I was exasperated (spelling?!?!) at his arrogance over the labelling issue.
- jampot
- Living the good life
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Re: Fishfight
ive enjoyed Hugh's latest campaign (as usual!) and i have to agree its not only us the public but those who supply our fish, i look for alternatives in the stoopermarket and shops ( i Hate salmon and dyed haddock!) but all i ever find are the big 3. i would love to see more fish and chippies serving a wider selection of fish locally caught where possible,oh well i could try catching my own i suppose
AAARRGHH its behind you!!!
- old tree man
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Re: Fishfight
I also was so impressed and totally shocked, as a fisherman myself (by rod only) off the NE coast i love eating fish you can't beat the freshness of your meal having eaten it within minutes of catching it the meat melts on your tongue mmmmmmmmmmmmm,
The utter stupidity of the laws with the waist fish really breaks my heart, i am a big beliver of only killing what you need and that respects the animal or fish that you are eating everything else is barbaric and a total waste of life
i'm sorry for the rant but i really do get emotional about killing things unnecessarily.
The utter stupidity of the laws with the waist fish really breaks my heart, i am a big beliver of only killing what you need and that respects the animal or fish that you are eating everything else is barbaric and a total waste of life
i'm sorry for the rant but i really do get emotional about killing things unnecessarily.
Respect to all, be kind to all and you shall reap what you sow.
old tree man,
aka..... Russ
old tree man,
aka..... Russ
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- Barbara Good
- Posts: 190
- Joined: Sun Nov 14, 2010 1:49 pm
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Re: Fishfight
Couldn't agree more. Right idea to limit the amout that can be caught but forcing fishermen to throw it back even though it is already dead is ludicrous.old tree man wrote:The utter stupidity of the laws with the waist fish really breaks my heart, i am a big beliver of only killing what you need and that respects the animal or fish that you are eating everything else is barbaric and a total waste of life
i'm sorry for the rant but i really do get emotional about killing things unnecessarily.
How about this for an idea. The boats keep their discard on board. Come back during incoming tide. Dump it back over the side and let all the dead fish wash up onto the beach. If they all did it the govenment would have to do something or risk having all the beaches in Britain smothered in dead fish. The self sufficient amoungst us would also get some free dinners!
- 123sologne
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Re: Fishfight
I can only add to the furor already displayed here.
I have signed up and also suggested the site gets translated for the main part in all European language as I think we need to get everybody on board otherwise all the politicians in Brussels will think they have no risk in their own backyard so why should they change the rules... I hope they do it as it would be nice to see millions of people saying no to this madness.
I have signed up and also suggested the site gets translated for the main part in all European language as I think we need to get everybody on board otherwise all the politicians in Brussels will think they have no risk in their own backyard so why should they change the rules... I hope they do it as it would be nice to see millions of people saying no to this madness.
Re: Fishfight
Sign-ups have now passed the 366,000 mark. It's all looking very good for HFW.
Mike
Mike
The secret of life is to aim below the head (With thanks to MMM)
- The Riff-Raff Element
- A selfsufficientish Regular
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Re: Fishfight
I signed. It might not make a difference - we're talking politics here - but one never knows.
Re: Fishfight
Sign-ups are now over 406,000. HFW is expressing surprise, and beginning to believe that half a million is now a possibility. Half a million is a by no means ignorable number of signatories to a petition aimed at the EU. Politicians being animals of a certain mindset, they'll be forced to sit up and think.
C'mon Ishers - if you haven't already signed up, have a think about it. Just Google fishfight, and you'll drop right onto the site.
Mike
C'mon Ishers - if you haven't already signed up, have a think about it. Just Google fishfight, and you'll drop right onto the site.
Mike
The secret of life is to aim below the head (With thanks to MMM)
Re: Fishfight
Well even I've signed up,and you may know what I think about HFW,however,in this respect,he's damn right.
- Millymollymandy
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Re: Fishfight
Well this is why I am in two minds about changing the laws - if they allow people to bring back 'waste' fish then they are going to be allowed to fish for species which are endangered or too small or for whatever reason they are not currently allowed to be caught. I think there should be restriction on fishing and the kind of nets they use full stop!old tree man wrote:The utter stupidity of the laws with the waist fish really breaks my heart, i am a big beliver of only killing what you need and that respects the animal or fish that you are eating everything else is barbaric and a total waste of life
i'm sorry for the rant but i really do get emotional about killing things unnecessarily.
I also don't understand this British fixation on cod - here in France it is the most expensive fish for sale - and I have never knowingly eaten it in England either - barf - always had plaice and chips from the chippy when I was a kid. Cod has never appealed to me at all.
Haven't watched the series so they may have talked about my point in para one.
http://chateaumoorhen.blogspot.com/boboff wrote:Oh and just for MMM, (thanks)
- The Riff-Raff Element
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Re: Fishfight
If I've understood correctly (and I can be a bit slow ) the idea is to restrict the days boats can be at sea, the size of boats, the mesh size of nets, and the total weight of catch (all easily controllable) but not to require fishermen to discard by-catch.Millymollymandy wrote: Well this is why I am in two minds about changing the laws - if they allow people to bring back 'waste' fish then they are going to be allowed to fish for species which are endangered or too small or for whatever reason they are not currently allowed to be caught. I think there should be restriction on fishing and the kind of nets they use full stop!
The major opposition to changing the CFP appears to be coming from nations (Spain and Portugal, mostly, I'm told) where the existing rules are cheerfully ignored, the by-catch is regularly landed anyway and where these changes would lead to a hefty fall in the amount of fish caught.
- Millymollymandy
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Re: Fishfight
Thanks Jon.
http://chateaumoorhen.blogspot.com/boboff wrote:Oh and just for MMM, (thanks)
Re: Fishfight
I think Hughs a legend both for his Chicken campaign and now this. I never realised how bad things are in the fishing world. Ive signed the fish fight petition.
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- Barbara Good
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Re: Fishfight
Success?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2 ... shing-food
Or empty promise that half of Europe will sign up to then promptly ignore?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2 ... shing-food
Or empty promise that half of Europe will sign up to then promptly ignore?