“This is a victory for scientific fact and common sense as well as for consumers and the UK fishing industry,” said John Rutherford, chief executive at Seafish.

“For too long, consumers have been subject to assertions about the damage fishing does to the marine environment, and we are delighted that, when presented with the facts, 7,000 NFWI delegates chose to reject this call for a ban.”

Mr Rutherford continued: “This decision will enhance the reputation of the WI as a serious campaigning organisation that looks carefully at the facts, rather than focusing on the emotions raised by the selective interpretation of data.

"Just as importantly, this decision also supports the future of the UK fishing fleet and those who depend upon it, including consumers who want to enjoy the health benefits of eating seafood from responsibly-managed sources in the future.”

The NFWI debated a motion tabled by the Buckinghamshire branch at its AGM in Liverpool yesterday which called for “a complete ban on bottom trawling in UK waters.”

Central to the argument put forward by Seafish was research showing that key fleets using trawling techniques including beam trawling have successfully fished the same grounds for many years.

This effectively discredited the argument that bottom trawling immediately destroys productivity wherever it is carried out.

It was also pointed out that the Marine Stewardship Council certifies trawl fisheries, recognising that the stocks they target are being managed sustainably.

The motion was defeated by 3,350 votes to 3,050 following a debate between Phil MacMullen, head of environment at Seafish, and Sarah North of Greenpeace.

www.fishupdate.com is published by Special Publications. Special Publications also publish FISHupdate magazine, Fish Farmer, the Fish Industry Yearbook, the Scottish Seafood Processors Federation Diary, the Fish Farmer Handbook and a range of wallplanners.

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