This spring the Greenpeace ship the Arctic Sunrise and its crew set out on a journey to support the growing movement of Europe’s sustainable fishermen.
The European Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) reform negotiations have recently concluded. These laws are changed only once every ten years. Greenpeace has been working with fishermen to demand a new CFP that gives greater fishing rights to sustainable fishermen, ends destructive fishing practices and puts the health of our seas and fish stocks at its heart.
It's clear that our pressure has worked: this new deal includes key measures to tackle overfishing and limit the wasteful practice of discarding healthy fish at sea. Our fisheries minister Richard Benyon has also been given a clear mandate to transform the way fishing rights are allocated, as the new CFP states that fishing opportunities should be given to fishermen on the basis of transparent environmental, social, and economic criteria.
Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, Croatia, Slovenia, Italy, Spain and France have all welcomed the Arctic Sunrise into port. At each stop, Greenpeace supporters have been joining us quayside to meet fishermen, tour the ship, and take action by making paper boats, which were sent to decision makers in Brussels just ahead of crucial meetings to reform the CFP. We must now keep the pressure on Richard Benyon to implement these reforms when he comes back to the UK, in a way that supports sustainable fishemen and protects our fish stocks.
The Arctic Sunrise will be in the UK for the last leg of the tour. You can be a part of it by joining us quayside at:
Lyme Regis
Wednesday 29 May
Performance area, Jubilee Pavilions, Marine Parade
Join us qayside for a small information table and paper boat folding
Fowey
Friday May 31, Saturday June 1, Sunday June 2
Town Quay PL23 1AT
Join us for campaign information, paper boat folding and activities for children
Hastings
Outside the Jerwood Gallery TN34 3DW
Join us qayside for a small information table and paper boat folding
London
Saturday 8 June and Sunday 9 June
West India Docks
