Letwin urged to consider repatriation of fishing policy

In what The Telegraph has dubbed "a grassroots revolt", David Bellamy, Dr Lee Rotheram and a number of Conservative politicians and activists have signed a letter to Oliver Letwin outlining the need to take action over Brussel's damaging fishing policies.

They believe that "bringing fisheries home" would satisfy the conservative principles of conservation and localism, as well as the following criteria:

Ecological -  "A proliferation of warnings alerts us to the ultimate decline and eventual collapse of North Sea stocks. To this, we add the ongoing disgrace of tens of thousands of tonnes of fish being discarded back into the sea. Instead of being consumed, and their catch levels monitored and recorded by scientists, they die and pollute the sea bed" 

Political - "The fishing debate is of importance and interest to a broader community than is sometimes given credit for. From a selfish political perspective, a solid policy would win support in a number of key marginals, and could not be outflanked by any of the other main political parties."

National interest - "Other countries play hardball over their fishermen. The French demanded increased quotas as part of their price for Nordic accession. They did the same to us when we joined. The Spanish demanded faster access to the Irish box, threatening to veto other EU applicants. Standing up for fishermen is nothing new in Brussels."

Feasibility - "For some years, the Conservative Party has adopted a policy of repatriating control of fisheries from the European Union. This is an entirely achievable objective. All the research has already been done under Owen Paterson, with mechanisms for working with nature rather than in closed bureaucratic session. The areas his fisheries team visited overseas were recovering under self-management. Those methods can be applied today."

Click here to read the full letter.

Deputy Editor

Comments

[Morten Sorensen]

This is one area where Cameron can reassure eurosceptics by doing what for most Britons must be a moral no-brainer.

[michael mcgough]

I am sure ConHome's prize winning Environmental Champion will now reflect on his abandonment of his predecessor's well researched fishing policy.He may also reasonably conclude that we'd be better off out of the EU.

[malcolm]

It is a practical and very necessary no-brainer too Morten. I'm very curious to know why it was dropped earlier this year.Can anyone enlighten me please?

[ukfirst]

The dogged hope of those who still think that the Conservative Party will do anything to stand up to the EU is remarkable. Is it something in the water?

[Og]

If there is something in the water, ukfirst, it certainly isn't cod.

This would be Cameron's first opportunity to redress part of the damage caused by his EPP own-goal. Will he take it? And if not, will there be a reasoned rejection of the argument made in this letter?

Don't hold your breath.

[John Irvine]

This is where the grassroots at last get a chance to take a stand against our increasingly erratic, and I think untrustworthy leadership.

OTOH I will delightedly retract that statement should Cameron and Co actually agree to what is correctly described as a no-brainer.

Sadly, however, I think headgear is unlikely to be on the menu.

[renny]

No brainer indeed. It works on an environmental / green ticket, on a euro sceptic ticket and on a common sense ticket.

So obviously there is no chance of the party adopting it then lol.

[Michael McGowan]

Malcolm, isn't the answer to your question that this is never going to happen now that Ken Clarke, Douglas Hurd, Chris Patten, Heseltine and John Selwyn Gummer have the ear of the Young Pretender?

[johnC]

Let's hope Cameron reads this thread and is infuriated.

[Tim Worstall]

I do wonder though: how will this repatriation be agreed without at least a credible threat to leave the entire EU structure if our 24 'partners' don't agree?

[Denis Cooper]

No argument over this - the problem is lack of political will/courage/patriotism.

[Mark Fulford]

I support this proposal because I want better protection for our seas and stocks and the EU is showing itself incapable of delivering this. British fishermen are just as guilty as Spanish and French at harvesting natural reserves (in common ownership) with little regard for their sustainability; our coastal stocks are in decline just as much as offshore stocks.

So yes, it’s time to bring fishing in UK waters under our own control (although redefining UK waters is going to be a fight), but it’s also time to take our own fishermen in-hand. For the privilege of fishing the UK’s stocks, they have to look after them.

[JT]

I asked Iain Duncan Smith about this precise matter after the ConservativeHome Awards on Monday night. He too expressed bemusement at why a sensible, popular and ecologically-sound policy had apparently been sidelined.

Where's the "social justice" for British fishermen, Mr. Cameron?

[Mark Wadsworth]

Is there an easy answer to Mark Fulford's question on how to define what's 'British'?

Does the UK have the stomach to relive the Cod Wars (only with us as the underdogs this time)? See...

http://home.freeuk.com/nigelhadley/codwar.htm

[John Ashworth]

For those of you who read the Save Britain's Fish booklet 'Why sink the FIshing Policy' given out at the Bournemouth Conservative conference and attended the Fringe meeting will understand why the policy has been dropped and answers Tim Worstall's question, how are you going to get the other 24 member states to agree.
The answer is as per Michael Howards policy, uphold the supremacy of Parliament and bring National control of Fisheries about by using domestic legislation. Our Party has turned its back on upholding the supremacy of Parliament just as David Cameron will never,as he promised, return employment and social regulation to National control, because it will never be achieved with the unanimous agreement of the other member states, but by the threat, or if necessary the use of, domestic legislation.

[John Irvine]

in the Telegraph Business News of October 18th the excellent Jeff Randall said:

"Facts are stripping away the Eurofanatics' clothing. Very soon they will stand covered by nothing but the jock-strap of their own perverse desire to further erode British Sovereignty".

[Julian Williams]

The twit is so synthetic and shallow, his only care is his image. So the trick is to whisper in his ear he will get some good publicity if he re-adopts Patterson's policy, and bad publicity if he does not.

The problem is if he got elected (God help us). He would give up as soon as the going got tough. His promises are as feeble as his policies.

[ukfirst]

Worried about British fishing (what's left of it)? Think Iceland.

[tapestry]

The EU Fishing Policy must be protected and saved as part of William Hague's Movement For European Reform. Hague is right. We must observe our Treaty commitments to our partners in Europe at all costs even if it means the whole continent dying of diabetes due to lack of Omega 3.

What do a few ruddy fish matter when there are bribes to be paid and received? The great Europa is about to be achieved at last and the Constitution rammed through. We are Great Europeans now not Little Englanders. We must abolish Sterling, join the Euro and prepare to worship President Blair. Cameron must not allow the forces of Conservatism to prevent the destruction of the fishing stocks of Europe. That would be treachery to our national interest.

[Roger Helmer MEP]

I support the letter. The case against the CFP is overwhelming. If we as a Party can't hold to our commitment to withdraw from the CFP, it is difficult to see how we can be credible on the EU issue.