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Furious fishermen are throwing thousands of pounds worth of dead fish back in the sea because of strict EU quotas.

Fishermen in Plymouth are calling for a change in regulations which currently see bass totalling more than three per cent of their total catch thrown back into the sea.



The frustrated fishermen say the rules, which were designed to conserve sea bass numbers, are costing them thousands and the fish often die when they are pulled from the water or soon after being tossed back.

Plymouth-based trawlerman David Cross said: "It's disgraceful. We had roughly £23,000 worth of bass the other day that we chucked back. In one week between all the vessels in Plymouth we've thrown about £120,000 worth of good quality sea bass back into the sea, left to rot so it's not good for anyone.

"As a fisherman I find it very sickly. There's no way not to catch bass - we're aiming for cuttlefish and squid, anything on the sea bed, but Bass occasionally go on the bottom once they've fed."



It has emerged that several trawlers in Cornwall recently each had to throw up to a tonne of sea bass overboard - worth around £10,000.

Shane Farrow, vice-chair for Fishermen United said: "Fishermen United is a newly-formed group that consists of fisherman from around the country who are at the end of their tether. Everyone's had enough of the current quota system.

"As it stands the fishing methods being used can't change to suit the system, but the system could change to suit the fishing methods. We want to try and get to the point where we have a decent conservation level.

"What's happening right now is that quotas are coming in,the amount of fish we're allowed to land is cut, not just bass but they are the highlight, and it's being thrown back dead when it could put to good use.

"We want the public to head to 'Fisherman United 2017' on Facebook and take a look at the videos because at the moment they're not getting to see what's happening. Nobody wants to throw good food. We'd rather give it to charities, hospitals, schools - anything rather than throwing it away."

Fishing industry chiefs in Cornwall and Devon will join local MPs in Brussels to discuss the controversial fishing quotas in the European Parliament this week.

Paul Trebilcock, chief executive of the Cornish Fish Producers Organisation, said new rules had to be worked out despite Brexit.



"For the next year at least the UK is a fully fledged member of the European Union so we have to put Brexit aside and negotiate the best possible deal for the UK fishermen for 2018," he said.



"French fishermen don't want to throw away perfectly good sea bass any more than we do. They agree with us that something has to change."





Mr Trebilcock said they had support from junior Defra minister and Cornish MP George Eustice who recognised it was "nonsense to waste a valuable resource."



He added: "For fishermen, any fish that goes back over the side is a waste of good fish and money.





"Sea bass is a by-catch of fishing. Fishermen don't go out to fish sea bass, but they still catch it accidentally.



"What we want to see is better provision for certain species and perhaps a higher percentage quota to stop the waste of good sea bass."





Mr Trebilcock said it was not just the larger trawlers but the smaller 10-metre boats from ports like Newlyn, Newquay or Looe which have to abide by the EU quota.



The government insists stocks of sea bass are in long-term decline but local fishermen say there have been so many recently that catching them has been unavoidable.



Defra said it was committed to striking a balance that allowed sustainable fishing as well as a thriving industry and is currently looking at scientific advice regarding sea bass levels for next year.

Mr Trebilcock added: "Not so long ago catching sea bass used to be welcomed by fishermen in the winter months because it would provide an extra income.

"But now it's just being wasted."

A decision on fishing quotas is expected to be taken by all 28 EU fisheries ministers this Wednesday.