EU policy making Jersey's fish stocks 'disappear' - MP

Wednesday 09 December 2015

Jersey has seen fish stocks “disappear” because of the EU Common Fisheries Policy, which should be abandoned as soon as possible, an MP has said in a debate about fishing policy.

Labour MP Kelvin Hopkins has called for the abandonment of the policy – arguing that it had caused over-fishing in Jersey, while Guernsey, which has stayed out of the agreement, still has healthy fish stocks.

MPs in the debate called for Prime Minister David Cameron to include the UK’s withdrawal from the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) as part of the upcoming negotiations about Britain’s status within the EU.

Mr Hopkins – the MP for Luton North, who has been in parliament since 1997 – told the Westminster Hall debate on Thursday that if Britain were to take back the regulation of fishing in its waters instead of allowing access to EU vessels under the CFP, there would be “a massive revival of the British fishing industry and of fish stocks across our waters”.

And he cited the contrasting fortunes of Jersey and Guernsey to demonstrate his point, saying that Guernsey politicians had asked him to pressure the government to keep them out of the deal.

Speaking about Guernsey, Mr Hopkins said: “They manage the number and sizes of their boats very carefully. All the fishermen involved make a good living and fish stocks remain buoyant, if that is not a contradiction in terms. That is what we should become, with our 200-mile limit.

“The representatives from Guernsey contrasted their experience with that of Jersey, which has seen its fish stocks disappear because it does not have the same control over its own fishing grounds.

“We should give notice now of withdrawal from the CFP and make Britain another Norway—another Guernsey writ large. The CFP has been a disaster, and it should be abandoned. That would be to the benefit of all fishing nations in the European Union, not just to us.”

Responding to Mr Hopkins' comments, Chief Minister, Senator Ian Gorst said: “We are aware that there have been discussions between Guernsey and the UK government about fisheries.  We also recognise that Kelvin Hopkins MP and others are free to comment on Jersey’s fisheries policies; however, the position that has been expressed about our policies is not one that we recognise. Jersey manages its fisheries in a sustainable fashion and has no evidence that fish stocks have diminished disproportionately in Jersey waters.”