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Another Danish MEP, Asger Christensen has hit out at the European Commission’s new regulation concerning North Sea crab claws
Danish MEP, Asger Christensen who is deputy chairman of the EU Parliament’s fisheries committee, has hit out at the European Commission’s new regulation concerning North Sea crab.
Asger Christensen has told Danish fishermen that he will demand an explanation from the EU Commission on the rule that prohibits the landing more than 75 kg of crab claws. The new regulation will come into effect from 01 May, a rule that makes many fishermen and politicians shake their heads, says Danish fishing industry magazine Fiskeritidende.
Danish MEP Erik Poulsen was the first politician who called the rule crazy, and now Asger Christensen has also joined the fray. He said:
“I want to ask questions to the EU Commission to get them to deal with the matter – among other things, I would like to know why the rule only applies in the North Sea? At the same time, I will raise the matter bilaterally in the fisheries committee, and here we also regularly have representatives of the commission for consultation, a bit like you know from the Folketing, when a minister is in consultation,” Asger Christensen explains to Dagbladet Holstebro Struer, a local Danish newspaper.
Christensen calls the rule something you can only invent when you sit at a computer but he is optimistic that the regulation will be reversed. He said:
“Maybe someone from the Directorate should go on a fishing trip? Crab claws are especially a bycatch, and once the crabs have hooked themselves into the net, you can’t just throw them out again, so the result will be a gigantic waste of food,” says Asger Christensen, who is optimistic about getting the rules changed.
