Dead fish dumped on EU doorstep

20 December 2004

BRUSSELS – Activists for environmental group Greenpeace dumped 11,000 dead fish and sea creatures outside the Brussels headquarters of the EU’s Council of Ministers on Monday.

The delivery coincided with preparations for a major meeting of EU fisheries ministers, which will take place on Tuesday and Wednesday and is set to fix the total number of fish Union boats can land next year.

Greenpeace said their action was designed to highlight what it says are destructive fishing methods being used in Europe.

The NGO said the quantity of fish and seafood it dumped, much of which was too young to be consumed, represented the amount accidentally caught in nets during two hours of fishing in the North Sea.

Aside from protesting about the forthcoming meeting of fisheries ministers, Greenpeace also wants EU environment ministers, who were meeting in Brussels on Monday, to develop a better long-term sea strategy.

Spokesman Thilo Maack said: “The current patchwork of laws and programmes has been shown to be ineffective in protecting the marine environment from the destruction caused by industrial fishing, pollution, petrol and gas drilling, as well as from the exploitation of the sand. Only a coordinated strategy can assure the survival of our seas.”

Greenpeace is also circulating a petition calling for the creation of marine reserves in Europe, an initiative that has attracted 200,000 signatures so far.

Subject: Belgian news