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JIMMY Buchan, star of the popular "Trawlermen" television series, sailed up the River Thames yesterday to take his message about the quality of Scottish fish right into the heart of London.
He berthed his trawler Amity 2 next to Tower Bridge. On board were Scottish fish merchants and a fish monger. The purpose of the trip is twofold - to promote Scottish fish and to support the campaign to reform the common Fisheries Policy and end discards. His vessel, which is based in Peterhead had travelled more than 400 miles to London.
He said that people should be made aware of the quality of Scottish fish and the fact that many species were fully sustainable. “Our haddock is now MSC accredited and we are hoping that our langoustines will be the same this year. So we are starting to tick the boxes that are important to the consumer.
He added: “What I always say to people is what kind of fish do you really want? What we can produce is wild cod, a great Scottish fish."
Mr Buchan is also raising money for the charity The Fishermen’s Mission which fights poverty and despair in fishing communities by providing help to their families and is promoting his new book about his remarkable life at sea.
His voyage to London coincided with a campaign by the celebrity chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall who has been in Brussels trying to persuade the European Parliament to change the rules on quotas and discards - throwing back fish which is illegal to catch.
Mr Buchan will be berthed next to Tower Bridge for four days and during that time his trawler will be open to the public. He is also hosting a barbeque for 30 top London chefs to try to persuade them to buy Scottish fish.
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