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🐟 Fishing series: The scandal of electric fishing: Difference between revisions
🐟 Fishing series: The scandal of electric fishing (view source)
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[[File:Electric trawl.png|thumb|Thumbnailed image|A pulse fishing trawl]] | [[File:Electric trawl.png|thumb|Thumbnailed image|A pulse fishing trawl]] | ||
[[File:Pulse fishing vote.jpg|thumb|Thumbnailed image|EU's 2017 vote to ban electric pulse fishing]] | [[File:Pulse fishing vote.jpg|thumb|Thumbnailed image|EU's 2017 vote to ban electric pulse fishing]] | ||
[[File:Visned.png|thumb|Thumbnailed image|Illustration produced by VisNed, one of the most powerful dutch fishing lobby]] | [[File:Visned.png|thumb|Thumbnailed image|Illustration produced by VisNed, one of the most powerful dutch fishing lobby]] | ||
[[File:Broken spine.png|thumb|Thumbnailed image|Scan of a fish’s spine broken by the shock of the pulse]] | [[File:Broken spine.png|thumb|Thumbnailed image|Scan of a fish’s spine broken by the shock of the pulse]] | ||
[[File:A flat sole.png|thumb|Thumbnailed image| | [[File:A flat sole.png|thumb|Thumbnailed image|Sole]] | ||
[[File:Pulse fishing exemptions map.png|thumb|Thumbnailed image|A map showing the area for which exemptions were granted]] | |||
[[File:Newspaper pulse.png|thumb|Thumbnailed image|British fishing magazine announcing the ban of pulse fishing]] | [[File:Newspaper pulse.png|thumb|Thumbnailed image|British fishing magazine announcing the ban of pulse fishing]] | ||
[[File: | [[File:Bycatch.png|thumb|Thumbnailed image|The bicatch of an electric trawler. Must of unwanted species such as sea stars will be thrown back into the water. Unfortunately, a large % having gone through electric shock, will just be left to perish.]] | ||
You may have heard the term “electric fishing” before. If you have, it is most likely due to the fact that “electric fishing” has turned out to be an ongoing scandal-story followed by the press and NGOs since the end of the millennia. And the main actor of this scandal is: <u>The Netherlands</u>. | You may have heard the term “electric fishing” before. If you have, it is most likely due to the fact that “electric fishing” has turned out to be an ongoing scandal-story followed by the press and NGOs since the end of the millennia. And the main actor of this scandal is: <u>The Netherlands</u>. | ||
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— See note below<ref>Declaimer: It is produced by “pulsefishing.eu” which is primarily funded by the “Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality”. It, therefore, relies on biased numbers.</ref> | — See note below<ref>Declaimer: It is produced by “pulsefishing.eu” which is primarily funded by the “Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality”. It, therefore, relies on biased numbers.</ref> | ||
== | == Impact of electric fishing on the Environment and marine life == | ||
==== The argument of Fuel ==== | ==== The argument of Fuel ==== | ||
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:Pulse fishing was therefore advertised by the dutch as a “climate friendly”, less calorific alternative than conventional trawling with numbers such as 46% less fuel. These incredible numbers on which the dutch relied to advocate for more pulse trawling are however challenged by french NGO [http://www.bloomassociation.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/plaidoyer-peche-electrique-v3.pdf/ Bloom] which argues that electric trawlers use slightly less fuel<ref>An electric trawler consumes 2.21 litres of fuel per kilo of fish caught, whereas a beam trawler consumes 2.36 l/kg</ref> because they manage to catch their sole quota much faster with the efficiency of the gear. | :Pulse fishing was therefore advertised by the dutch as a “climate friendly”, less calorific alternative than conventional trawling with numbers such as 46% less fuel. These incredible numbers on which the dutch relied to advocate for more pulse trawling are however challenged by french NGO [http://www.bloomassociation.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/plaidoyer-peche-electrique-v3.pdf/ Bloom] which argues that electric trawlers use slightly less fuel<ref>An electric trawler consumes 2.21 litres of fuel per kilo of fish caught, whereas a beam trawler consumes 2.36 l/kg</ref> because they manage to catch their sole quota much faster with the efficiency of the gear. | ||
== == | |||
==== The effect on marine life ==== | ==== The effect on marine life ==== | ||
:The electric current, which was meant to knock the fish out for a few minutes, was actually proven to make fish undergo violent convulsions, often leading fish touched by the pulse to be injured or to die. | :The electric current, which was meant to knock the fish out for a few minutes, was actually proven to make fish undergo violent convulsions, often leading fish touched by the pulse to be injured or to die. | ||
:50% to 70% of northern sea cod in the array of the electric arc are said to be left with a broken spine and internal bleeding<ref>The effect of electric pulse stimulation to juvenile cod and cod of commercial landing size. IMARES Report C141/11. Available | :50% to 70% of northern sea cod in the array of the electric arc are said to be left with a broken spine and internal bleeding<ref>The effect of electric pulse stimulation to juvenile cod and cod of commercial landing size. IMARES Report C141/11. Available [http//:www.wur.nl/en/Publication-details.htm?publicationId=pub-lication-way-343137383633.55/ here] <br>Pulse trawl fishing: characteristics of the electrical stimulation and the effect on behaviour and injuries of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua). ICES Journal of Marine Science 73(6): 1557-1569.</ref>. Just as well, since electric fishing is in use in the north sea, the north sea has seen its banks of cod eggs reduced by 25% as the electric current used by electric trawlers jeopardizes the integrity and future of marine ecosystems by impacting both the hatching of eggs and survival of larvae. | ||
== == | |||
These are few between many detrimental impacts of pulse fishing on the environment. (to learn more on the matter, you can read through: [http://www.bloomassociation.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/plaidoyer-peche-electrique-v3.pdf/ Bloom’s document] which references many detailed studies. | |||
== The dutch Scandal == | |||
If pulse electric fishing is a technic used since the 1970s, most countries (including China) came to the conclusion that its effect on marine life were destructive which led the European ban of 1998. | |||
The law was however quickly ratified (unofficially as a result of the work of the dutch lobby), allowing a maximum of 5% of the fleet of each EU country to pursue electric trawling for research purposes.<br> | |||
From 2006 onwards, the EU granted up to 84 illegal permits to the Netherlands, which allowed it to equip around 40% of its total fleet with electric pulse systems. | |||
The European commission seemingly omitted to mention a scientific document delivered by the STECF<ref>The Scientific, Technical And Economic Committee For Fisheries - scientific organ of experts of the European commission</ref> a month earlier. This report stated that electric pulse fishing still seemed to be detrimental for marine life and that multiple problems related to the practice would have to be solved before granting any permit. If there seems to be no proof of this so-called “lobby work” of the dutch, the facts are that the European overpassed its own scientific commission to grant these permits. | |||
<gallery mode="traditional" weight=700px> | |||
File:First-prohibition-1998-EU.jpg|1998 EU ban | |||
File:Journal-Commission-Europe-authorizing-permits-for-electric-pulse-fishing.png|2006 Ratified law based on omitted scientific report | |||
File:2006 report Europeeancomission Scientific-branch 1-month-before-permits.jpg|2006 Omitted STEFC report | |||
</gallery> | |||
Since 2007, at least 21.5 million € of public subsidies have been allocated to the development of the industrial electric fishing fleet in the Netherlands for research that was never conducted.<br> | |||
Moreover, EU laws also demand that, if commercial fishing activities occur during the conduct of scientific research, the value of the catch be paid back to public authorities to avoid scientific research being used to generate undue profits — this law was of course never applied. | |||
<gallery mode="traditional" weight=700px> | |||
File:Number-of-boats-pursuing-research.jpeg|Number of dutch boats actually pursuing research | |||
File:Congratulations to dutch fishermen.jpg|NL government still denying impact on the environment in 2019 | |||
</gallery> | |||
== == | |||
Adriaan Rijnsdorp from Wageningen University stated in 2018 : "<i>The Netherlands have gone beyond the legal framework in recent years by expanding the number of temporary permits. It seemed experimental, but researchers have never writ-ten a proposal for a research program that required 84 vessels {...] Fishing with electric 'pulse' trawlers is just more profitable".<re>BioNieuws, edition of January 27 2018</ref> | |||
== Notes == | == Notes == | ||