Latest news from Fish Fight

Dear Fish Fighters,
 
Today the European Commission published its CFP reform proposal. You can read the full proposal here.
 
I’m very happy to see that the proposal specifically includes measures to end discards. It’s not perfect but it's a brave step in the right direction and we should applaud Commissioner Damanaki for ensuring discards are firmly on the agenda. I really believe this wouldn't have happened without all your fantastic support.

 
Thank you to each and every one of the 700,000 people who have signed the fishfight.net petition. Maintaining public enthusiasm and energy for a campaign is not always easy, but today’s result has shown once again that the voices of people united can really make a difference.
 
But we’re not there yet…
 
All that has happened today is that the European Commission has presented their proposals for change. Nothing is going to become law until the end of 2012. That means there is still 18 months of arguments and disussion in the European Parliament that could change everything.

It's more important than ever that we keep up the pressure for reform.  Securing the future of EU fisheries means securing the livelihoods of the fishing communities as well as preserving fish stocks for our future generations.
 
We must ensure that the proposal on discards is not weakened or abolished.
 
It's up to our Fisheries Minister Richard Benyon to represent your views when the difficult discussions begin. And the MEPs who pledged to help the Fish Fight must show they were not making empty promises. Let's make sure that happens.
 
Fish Fight has shown that people in the UK care about the future of fishing and sustainability but we want the message to spread even further. In the coming months we will be launching specific campaigns in France, Germany, Poland and Spain. Let's keep up the pressure by pushing the word across Europe.
 
Keep up the fight!
 
Hugh