MEP's call to re-use dumped fish

Published on Saturday 6 March 2010 19:20

A EURO MP has called for the £40 million worth of dead fish that Scots fishermen are forced to dump at sea to be turned into animal "super food".

Current European rules mean fishermen are forced to throw dead fish back into the sea if they exceed stringent quotas. It means around one million tonnes of edible fish gets dumped by European fleets annually – worth 40m to Scots fishermen alone.

But the Conservative MEP for Scotland, Struan Stevenson, has called instead for over-quota catches to be landed and turned into Omega-3 rich fish oil and fishmeal for use as animal feed, particularly in fish farming. The brain-boosting fatty acids would then find their way into the food chain – benefiting human consumers too.

Stevenson, who is senior vice president of the European Parliament's fisheries committee, said: "The problem of discards... is scandalous.

"I think we have an ideal opportunity here to use immature or out-of-quota fish for processing into fishmeal and fish oil, thus avoiding the horrendous waste and environmental pollution involved in their wanton dumping overboard.

"The advantages of feeding fishmeal and fish oil to farm animals have been known for around 2,000 years. Even the ancient Romans knew that fishmeal contains highly digestible protein and essential fatty acids, as well as a number of important minerals.

"As well as providing the animals concerned with an excellent diet, the highly unsaturated fatty acids in the fishmeal, often referred to as Omega-3s, ensure that the finished food products have health benefits for consumers."

Stevenson added that the processing sector has already stated its willingness to compensate fishermen for over-quota fish at a rate that is not so attractive it would encourage targeting of particular species, but is attractive enough to discourage dumping.

The fishmeal and fish oil industry directly employs 30,000 people throughout the EU, providing products widely used in fish farming and other sectors.