MP Hart Takes to the Channel with Greenpeace
Hastings & Rye MP Sally Ann Hart enjoyed her own Channel voyage a couple of weeks ago as guest on board the Greenpeace vessel Sea Beaver along with Eastbourne MP Caroline Ansell.
This boat is undertaking a six-month patrol under a campaign styled Operation Ocean Witness. Its aims are described by Greenpeace as “documenting, exposing and confronting destructive industrial fishing vessels which are plundering the seas off the south coast”.
MPs Hart and Ansell on Sea Breeze boat off Beachy Head
CREDIT: Andrew McConnell, Greenpeace
Supertrawlers, bottom trawlers and industrial fly-shooters spend, according to Greenpeace, thousands of hours each year in UK protected waters, severely depleting fish populations inshore. That threatens the livelihoods of smaller scale fishermen such as the Hastings fleet, and damages vital marine habitats. Protocols which are supposed to protect MPZs (Marine Protected Zones) aren’t generally applicable more than 12 miles offshore. Greenpeace claims that the government does have powers following Brexit under the Fisheries Act 2020 to ban industrial fishing methods in these areas “but has not yet taken action”.
Mrs Hart praised the Greenpeace operation and said she recognised the importance of preserving and enhancing local marine habitats. “From the protection of endangered species like seahorses, to the reintroduction of habitats like kelp forests and seagrasses – all of these will help to protect our environment as they act as great carbon stores”, she said. “The work that Greenpeace is doing to raise awareness of these protection zones and to ensure we see more of them is so important. Moreover, these zones benefit our local fishermen, who by the very nature of being under ten-metre fleets are sustainable in their approaches to fishing.”
However she fell short of promising to put any pressure on the government to take legal action.
We hope you have enjoyed reading this article. The future of our volunteer led, non-profit publication would be far more secure with the aid of a small donation. You can also support local journalism by becoming a friend of HIP. It only takes a minute and we would be very grateful.
Leave a Reply