Ban the ocean floor sweepers

THE warning that world fish stocks are fast approaching collapse comes as no surprise to anybody familiar with modern fishing methods.

Super-trawlers fish on an industrial scale, acting like giant vacuum cleaners, sweeping every living creature from the ocean floors, fish at all stages of development, from mature species to the tiniest sprat. They also dredge the ocean floor, leaving a lifeless desert behind.

We are in no position to point the finger at other nations since one of the most destructive of these super-trawlers, with a capacity of thousands of tonnes, operates under the Irish flag from its home port in Donegal. I understand there are whole communities along the west African coast deprived of their traditional fisheries as a result of the decimation of stocks by these super-trawlers.

Their fishing methods are so ruthless and indiscriminate that much of the catch is unfit for human consumption and ends up as fishmeal, an abuse and total waste of this valuable food.

Knowing the greed and stupidity of mankind, it is doubtful if world fisheries will respond in time to avert this Armageddon-style scenario. It’s not that long ago since EU fisheries policy saw our trawlers landing catches of prime fish at ports all around the coast only to have it sprayed with diesel, reloaded onto the same trawlers, then taken out and dumped at sea, unfit even for consumption by birds, seals or any other of God’s creatures.

At the very least there should be a global ban on the operation of every super-trawler or any method of fishing that damages young stocks. Otherwise we will literally live to regret the abuse of one of our most valuable and irreplaceable food sources.

John F Murray

Spokesman

Justice and Peace

Secular Franciscan Order

San Damiano

101 Harolds Cross Road

Dublin 6W