MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

British fishing industry furious with BBC documentary

The program was described as “wilfully irresponsible and unscientific”

The Scottish Fishermen’s Federation (SFF) and the National Federation of Fishermen’s Organizations (NFFO) are supporting an official complaint by industry body Seafish over a BBC program that portrayed the fishing industry in a damaging and “inaccurate” manner. The groups are demanding an apology from the BBC.

Seafish sent a formal letter backed by SFF and NFFO to the BBC complaining about the poor editorial standards in the TV program “Britain’s really disgusting food: fish.”

Seafish said the show chose “cheap sensationalism” over scientific facts and insists on receiving an apology for the “wilfully irresponsible and unscientific program.”

The documentary focused on claims by Greenpeace that most major fish stocks are being driven depleted, which fishing interests are dismissing as “propaganda” for organisation, The Press and Journal reports.

But the BBC has defended the show by saying it “gave a broad picture of some of the ethical issues involved in the global fishing industry.”

SFF and NFFO expressed dismay at the continual claim in the program that “some scientists believe there will be ‘no fish left in the sea in 50 years time.” The industry claims that the scientist who originally made the assertion in 2006 – Professor Boris Worm of Dalhousie University, Canada – has since rescinded this hypothesis and that it is not popular among most mainstream scientists.

“This was an extremely damaging program to the UK fishing industry where the true facts were simply ignored. It seems that the program makers thought of a title and then made an episode to fit around their own narrow agenda,” SFF and NFFO said in a joint statement.

“Seafood is one of the healthiest and most natural foods around and its consumption should be promoted, not denigrated. The program makers totally failed to acknowledge the huge strides made by the UK fishing industry in recent years to ensure a sustainable future,” it continued.

The industry’s efforts have allowed the first signs of recovery of cod in the North Sea and a growing number of UK fisheries are becoming certified by the Marine Stewardship Council, (MSC) for sustainability and good management. But the show didn’t include these facts, the statement said.

“Our fishermen have a difficult and dangerous enough job as it is by bringing to our plates sustainable, nutritious and tasty seafood, without having to face a totally unwarranted onslaught of this sort,” it added. (FIS/MP).-