FRANKFURT, Germany, November 5, 2008 (ENS) – At least a million metric tonnes of fish and other sea animals caught in the North Sea are tossed overboard every year, according to a new report from WWF-Germany, the German chapter of the global conservation organization. The discards amount to about one-third of the entire North Sea catch, says WWF, an estimate outdone last year by the European Union, which estimated that between 40 and 60 percent of all fish caught by trawlers in the North Sea is discarded. The report, "Sea Creatures Are Not Rubbish," says that discards of fish that are too small to meet catch quotas or species for which the fishermen have no quota are not accurately measured. This could indicate an even greater level of over-fishing is happening than is currently recognized in official estimates. "Bycatch is an incredible waste and one of the largest threats to many sea creatures," said Karoline Schacht, fisheries policy officer with WWF-Germany. "The drama happens far away at sea but this unseen wastefulness must come to an end." … Every year several million sharks and up to 250,000 sea turtles are caught as bycatch in fishing operations designed to catch other species. 

One Million Tons of North Sea Fish Discarded Every Year
Thu, 06 Nov 2008 16:53:46 GMT