A CAMPAIGN launched by a British celebrity chef against scandalous fishing practices has finally had an effect.
Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall has been fighting since May 2011 to stop Spanish fisherman throwing dead fish back into the sea when their catch exceeds quotas.
This weekend he drummed up the support of 130,000 Facebook and Twitter followers, who emailed Spanish ministers urging them not to sign a declaration opposing a ban on the highly wasteful practice.
And following a meeting in Brussels on Monday, EU fisheries commissioner Maria Damanaki insisted Spanish fishing chiefs had agreed to phase out discards over the next four years.
“It’s been a satisfying day,” said Fearnley-Whittingstall.
