Mike Treleaven calls on European Commissioner to end dolphin slaughter.

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Fri 28th Jan 2005

Prospective Lib Dem Parliamentary Candidate for Totnes, Mike Treleaven took the opportunity during the visit of Joe Borg, European Fisheries Commissioners, to the constituency to call on the European Commission to institute a ban on pair trawling for bass, a fishing method commonly acknowledged to cause massive dolphin deaths.

Speaking after handing in a letter to the commissioner Mike Treleaven said:

'It is acknowledged that between 5000 - 10,000 common dolphins die horrible deaths every year and there is hard evidence that pair trawling is the major cause. The British Government have instituted a ban within the 12 mile limit, but this only applies to UK boats.

I am calling on the commission to do three things:

1/ Institute a total ban on pair trawling

2/ Ban bass fishing altogether during the spawning season - 1st Jan - 31st March

3/ Increase, in stages, the minimum landing size for bass from 36 - 55 cm.

By implement these measures we will top the unnecessary slaughter of dolphins and take effective measures to enhance the bass fishery.

It is high time the commission took action to sort out this problem. My colleagues Andrew George M.P. and Adrian Sanders M.P. have been campaigning for this for years and Andrew will be reinforcing the case during his meeting with Mr. Borg in Brussels on February 4th. We see evidence of dolphin deaths all the time as they are continually washed up on our beaches. It is time to put a stop to this cruel practice.'