To debate concerns voiced "increasingly loudly" by consumer groups about fish caught by beam trawls, Westcountry Fish Producer Organisation leaders, trawler owners and trawler managers recently met environmentalists at Brixham Mission.

Jim Portus, chief executive of the South Western Fish Producer Organisation (FPO), said: "Having decided to address the issues of supply-chain integrity, impacts on marine habitats and also on fish stocks, a group formed in June last year - the Channel and West Sustainable Trawling Group - that will now strive to achieve full MSC accreditation.

"The Channel and West Sustainable Trawling Group (C &WSTG) is not a tidy name but 'does what it says on the label', and our intention is to secure consumer confidence in the sustainability and management of the marine environment while linked to such prime species coming from the relevant trawl fisheries.

"The group believes it will achieve its goal through sensible measures brought in to regulate, in a better way, the channel fisheries targeted by the Westcountry's indigenous fleet of trawlers."

Other big players in the South West trawling industry, such as Plymouth firm Interfish Ltd, the Cornish FPO, Seafood Cornwall and Seafish Southwest, opened the day's forum at 6.45am on Brixham fish market where a wide range of environmentalists and MSC members viewed well-presented trawl-caught fish.

And after stepping aboard the beam trawler, Lady T Emiel, on which positive research has been done to develop the "eco-friendly"' use of square mesh panels on parts of the net, allowing better escape for small fish and other unwanted benthic life, a seafood breakfast was held at the Mission before the lively meeting began.

Led by C &WSTG chairman Andrew Pillar, fleet manager for Interfish, those present heard how C &WSTG is proud to announce the launch of its bid.

Environmentalists heard how some of the most productive fishing waters of Europe surround the South West of England.

Mr Pillar said: "Fishermen aboard a considerable fleet of boats go out from the smallest of ports, such as Beer in East Devon, from Devon's largest port, Brixham, nestling in the shelter of Berry Head, and from Newlyn, which is ideally situated in far West Cornwall and close to the Western Approaches and South West Deeps. Here the bounteous megrim and anglerfish stocks exist.

"Thousands of tonnes of fish of the highest quality, valued in tens of millions of pounds, are landed in the region each year, and we believe that the diversity and quality of fish and shellfish landed in the South West's fishing ports is unrivalled in the United Kingdom."

Mr Portus said: "These are exciting times for all sectors of the South West fishing industry. C &WSTG members are proud of the region's fishing heritage and of its hardworking fisherfolk. What they do is something of which we can all be proud.

"We are promoting their contribution to the local economy and also to the fabric of our coastal communities. We aim to ensure that management regimes are in place that will ensure these key commercial species are harvested responsibly and sustainably from these regional seas and are always available at a realistic price."

article copyright Phil Lockley for Western Morning News 

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