David Levy – There’s the World we want, and there’s the World we’re likely to get – August 2013

Responses to our campaign for reform of European Fishing Subsidies has been predictable — we are seeking a shift from extraction-based subsidies to conservation-based subsidies, including support for fishermen so that they can manage marine reserves centred on spawning and nursery grounds.

Some countries are broadly supportive. Other countries believe that the 2013 agreed reforms to the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) will bring about substantive change, which means they have fudged the issues around subsidies hoping for an improvement based on collective awareness. Then, there are some countries which are openly hostile to change.

By replying to us, we have been able to build up our data base and start applying specific questions to the 760 MEPs, President Barroso, Commissioner Damanaki and the European Parliament’s Fisheries Committee. John Stansfield (Marinet’s EU campaigner) has been engaged on our behalf with these pressure points, and has gained sound insights from Sir Graham Watson MEP and others on the type and scale of question we should be asking, and of whom.

John will, when he can find time, bring you a more comprehensive appraisal in his Blog. Suffice to say for the moment, we are engaged and we have a clear strategy that can be successful, and we will at some point need your endeavours to assist us.

Changing people’s attitudes to how they view the oceans, and Man’s relationship with them, is an aspirational campaign which I believe will become more important as we use up their resources. It seems incredible that we can hoover the oceans to the point of collapse, but that is the way it is going and without a fundamental sea-change in world thinking we will destroy our own food basket. It is happening and, without total worldwide protection, one collapse will follow on from another. See Deborah Wright’s Blog

To this end, I feel Marinet needs some more financial support so that Deborah can spread this message to the United Nations, and I have undertaken responsibility to write to people and organisations seeking that support. If anyone has an avenue that I should follow, please advise me onemail hidden; JavaScript is required" href="http://mailto:levy@dr52.fsnet.co.uk"> email hidden; JavaScript is required

As an aside, but relevant. Yesterday on the news – Man has made from dead cow cells his own genetically-engineered beefburger. Sounds delightful. Given the amount of justification that I have heard spoken for this Frankenstein food, people should view the film Solyent Green.

We are only a few steps away, and someone will take us there — of that I am sure.

David Levy


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