Fishermen, merchants, producers and buyers filled nearly every seat at the Queen's Hotel in Penzance on Tuesday afternoon when a Defra-led roadshow to get the struggling industry back on its feet hit the town.
Reform
The aim of the tour, which will visit all of the major fishing ports in the UK, is to try to involve everyone to submit views on plans for a massive reform of the ailing Common Fisheries Policy.
The EU commission's green paper on CFP reform acknowledges the failure of annual catch quota cuts, that stocks are still in dire straits and that scientists are unaware of the state of nearly two-thirds of Europe's fish stocks.
Views and suggestions must be submitted to Defra by October 26.
For the three-hour debate the department had set up a panel of experts consisting of scientists and environmentalists to answer questions.
The main concerns related to EU catch quotas where boats are forced to discard fish if they have caught the wrong species or fish that are too small.
But it is illegal to discard fish in Norwegian waters, making many question how the current EU policy can be justified.
The meeting also discussed the possibility of introducing a mixed fisheries policy.
Tony Woodhams, fisheries project manager for Newlyn, said the community had a real chance to make an impact.
"We either engage or sit back and do nothing. At least they are asking us and they seemed genuinely interested."
District inspector Justin Williams, for the Marine and Fisheries Agency, said it was important that the industry logged its suggestions. He said: "Fishermen, merchants and producers know the industry better than anybody else and they have got the expertise.
"Nothing has been decided but there's a chance for everybody to have a say and move forward and impact the whole system."
West Cornwall MP Andrew George has criticised Defra for failing to adequately advertise the meeting.
Disappointed
Mr George said: "If the Government genuinely wants to consult it must be much better organised than this.
"I am deeply disappointed that the event appears to have been so poorly advertised. Many people who could have made a very worthwhile contribution to this consultation were denied the opportunity to do so. I will be raising it with the fisheries minister."
Views can be sent to cfp@defra.gsi.gov.uk or Lekha Prakasan, Defra Marine Programme, Area 2C, Nobel House, 17 Smith Square, London SW1P 3JR.
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