He set up "base camp" at the Esplanade outside the European Parliament Building in the Belgian capital. Following that he will head into Germany, France and Spain and eventually onto Poland.

The TV chef and food writer who is noted for not pulling punches launched his campaign against the current Common Fisheries Policy late last year. This was followed up by a series of hard hitting New Year TV programmes on Channel-4 which caught the public imagination in the UK, so much so that supermarkets like Tesco reported a jump in sales of some less popular species of fish. It is understood more programmes are planned by Channel 4.

In Brussels yesterday he met EU Fisheries Commissioner Maria Damanaki, who said: "I consider discarding of fish unethical, a waste of natural resources, and a waste of fishermen's effort. Only broad societal awareness and public support can bring about real change in fisheries policy." She said earlier: "Fish Fight has a great power and I am grateful to the people who support it and understand that we can not go on with business as usual."

Mr Fearnley-Whittingstall said he was delighted with the way the campaign had gone so far. "For the past few months I have been travelling around the UK meeting fishermen, marine conservationists, politicians and supermarket bosses - and the fish eating members of the public."
Now he is taking that same message on his European odyssey.

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