As the wide-ranging Marine Conservation Bill goes through its final reading in Parliament, fishermen yesterday claimed crucial details could have crippling impacts on their livelihoods.
Politicians also warned British and European trawlermen could come to blows over the possible creation of controversial Marine Conservation Zones (MCZ), which could see them banned from operating in large areas. The laws are being laid down in the reading of the Bill, which will provide the framework for such zones to be established.
Fishermen fear a heavy-handed approach, with politicians designating areas beyond the requirement to try to elevate fish stocks to optimum levels by 2015. They are also wary of an increasingly multi-layered protection policy, with different areas subjected to different rules, which may overlap.
They are widely expected to win a crucial victory – over where the burden of proof lies when it comes to policing protected waters – but MPs adjourned the debate late last night. The House of Commons is expected to continue the reading today.
Fishermen strongly argue for a clause stating that no offence will have been committed if damage could not reasonably be avoided. In effect, this would mean the authorities proving that they meant to fish in banned zones.
The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) believes the clauses may result in fishermen getting away with operating illegally.
Last night, Dave Pessell, of Plymouth Trawler Agents, said he would be "delighted" if the decision was taken that the authorities had to prove guilt. But he said: "The greater problem that really concerns us are these potentially vast areas that they are hoping to exclude fishermen from on no grounds whatsoever."
Jim Portus, director of the South West Fish Producers' Organisation, said it would have been a "sad day for fishing" if the conservationists has got their way on the issue.
But Melissa Moore, senior policy officer with the MCS, said: "It would be easy for fishermen to provide a defence that they had tried to avoid the site – hence we are concerned that it won't give the necessary protection to Marine Conservation Zones. It would only take one trawler or one dredger to destroy those sites."
She said the clause was expected to be removed anyway, once Europe unified its approach to policing waters.
Last night, Labour's Austin Mitchell (Great Grimsby) told the Commons: "We have seen the anger already which was produced down the east coast by French fishermen coming in and disrupting the pots of fishermen from Scarborough, Bridlington and Whitby. I don't want a repetition of that. It could lead to violence, it would certainly lead to anger and a disrespect for the law."
Liberal Democrat MP for St Ives Andrew George, speaking during the Commons' debate, said "the last thing" Parliament wanted to do would be "to tie the hands of the UK fishing vessels, fishermen" by allowing those fishermen from other nations "to be able to simply fish stocks in areas which UK fishermen have been effectively told that they cannot go and they cannot fish".
RURAL campaigners have also urged the Government to scrap "unnecessary unwarranted proposals" to grant statutory right of access to the coastline.
The Country Land and Business Association (CLA) has called on MPs to "save nearly £50 million" by ditching the coastal access section of the new Marine and Coastal Access Bill.
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USEFUL LINKS
DEFRA - Marine and freshwater Fisheries
EUROPEAN COMISSION - Fisheries: open debate on the future of the European Common Fisheries Policy
EUROPEAN COMISSION - Reform of the Common Fisheries Policy