Press Release
14th Feb, 2011.
IWT calls for an end to over-fishing and no cull of seals in Kerry
The IWT is calling on the government to introduce measures to protect the marine environment and to resist calls from fishermen to cull seals off Kerry. Irish waters are and now over-fished and the marine ecosystem has been severely damaged due to trawling and other commercial fishing practices. This long-term damage is the cause of dwindling fish stocks and culling seals, a European protected species, should not be used as a scapegoat for fishermen's problems.
Pádraic Fogarty, IWT chairman said, "Fishermen must start working with nature if there is to be a continuing supply of fish for future generations". For instance:
· Cod is listed as 'endangered with extinction' by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
· The Marine Institute estimates that the Haddock fishery off the west of Ireland discards 66% of the total catch, which in 2011 will result in nearly 6,000 tonnes of unwanted fish and other marine life being dumped.
· Landings of Whiting from the Celtic sea and west of Ireland have decreased steadily since the 1990's from a high of about 22,000 tonnes in 1995 to only 5,000 tonnes in 2009.
· Landings of Pollack across Europe have declined steadily since the 1980's but despite this there is no information about the state of this fish in waters off the west of Ireland. The Marine Institute has recommended that total catches should be reduced in light of this lack of information.
These facts point to an on-going decline in the quality of our marine environment which some scientists have suggested will leave us without commercially exploitable stocks of fish by 2050.
The IWT, along with 12 other Irish conservation organisations that are part of the OCEAN2012 coalition, has been working since 2009 for a reform of the Common Fisheries Policy that puts the environment first. Pádraic Fogarty said "without fish there will be no fishing. If we want fish on our plate 30 years from now we must start protecting our oceans. Shooting seals will do nothing to restore the long-term health of the marine environment in Kerry or anywhere else in Ireland".
ENDS
Contact:
For further information please contact Joanne Pender IWT Development Officer Ph: 01 860 2839 or E-mail: enquiries@iwt.ie
Editors Notes:
The Irish Wildlife Trust was founded in 1979 as a charitable conservation body. We provide the public with information about wildlife, run education and training programs like SAC Watch and the Outdoor Classroom Programme, carry out habitat and species surveys like the IWT National Lizard Survey and Newt Survey, campaign and lobby around biodiversity issues, restore natural habitats, consult with industry, agriculture and Local Authorities to maintain our natural heritage and contribute to national and international forums for the protection of biodiversity. The IWT is a nationwide organisation with a strong membership base, staff and Board of Directors, with branches in Dublin, Limerick, Waterford, Clare, Cork, Louth, Monaghan and Tipperary.
