Sustainable fisheries

SIR – Today is the last chance for MPS to prove that the United Kingdom can truly set a gold standard for sustainable fisheries management.

As part of the EU, the UK played its part to reduce the number of overfished stocks in the north-east Atlantic from 75 per cent to 40 per cent over the past 10 years. It now has an opportunity to lead the way on ending overfishing – something the EU collectively failed to do by the agreed deadline of 2020.

Ending overfishing is critical to securing healthy fish populations and the future livelihoods of those working in the British fishing industry. Yet Parliament looks set to approve a Fisheries Bill that fails to commit firmly to fishing within science-based sustainable levels, and which could allow continued overfishing.

We call on MPS to safeguard our fishers – and our fish and chips – by strengthening sustainability requirements in the Fisheries Bill, to ensure bountiful seas for years to come. Pascale Moehrle

Executive Director, Oceana

Sandy Luk

CEO, Marine Conservation Society Beccy Speight

Chief Executive, RSPB

Shaun Spiers

Executive Director, Green Alliance

SIR – In 1666, as a token of his gratitude for granting him asylum from 1656 to 1659, Charles II awarded the city of Bruges perpetual privileges to send 50 vessels to fish off the British coast.

You report (October 10) that Belgium plans to invoke this charter in the Brexit negotiations over fishing rights.

No one has fished out of Bruges since its harbour silted up decades ago. The modern port and fishing fleet is in the new town of Zeebrugge (“Brugeson-sea”), about 10 miles along the coast. Whether this renders the 1666 charter void remains to be seen. Richard Symington

London SW17