Fishy outcomes
THE squabble over fishing quotas in the European Union (EU) came to a disappointing halt in Brussels last month. EU fisheries ministries, meeting to discuss the fishing quotas for this year, tried hard to bargain against the cuts citing the cause of the livelihood of the fisherfolk which could get affected.
In the end, what the European Commission had suggested and what was finally decided were quite different, much to the ire of environmentalist groups like Greenpeace. Conservation of fish stocks being the key issue, it is expected that while the catches of plaice, mackerel and herring will come down, that of cod and saithe will rise by eight and five per cent respectively, and that of haddock will not change. The agreement has created a lot of discord among the fisherfolk belonging to Britain, France, Spain and Portugal who believe that the deal is no cause for celebration.