Puffin food fight goes to court

A challenge to Britain's ban on commercial fishing for sandeels in the North Sea has begun in a European court.

Sandeels are a vital source of food for seabirds that live along the UK coastline, including the internationally important puffin colony at Bempton Cliffs in East Yorkshire.

A closure order was put in place in March 2024 to prohibit trawlers netting the tiny fish from English waters, following concerns that sandeel stocks were becoming too low.

However, the EU claims the move is "discriminatory and disproportionate" and could threaten the future of commercial sand eel fishing in Denmark.

Conservationists backed the fishing ban by the UK government and said it was vital in order to preserve enough food for threatened populations of some UK seabirds.

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), which manages Bempton Cliffs, is one of several conservation organisations calling for the measure to remain in place.

Bernadette Butfield, an RSPB senior marine policy officer, said: "Sandeels are one of the key food sources for puffins at places like Bempton.

"But it's not just puffins that benefit from the fishery closure, it's also species like kittiwake.

"In the UK, 62% of our seabird species are in decline."

Ms Butfield said the outcome of the legal fight could be crucial for seabird populations.

"Losing this case to the EU could place some of these seabird species far closer to extinction."

Dave O'Hara, senior site manager at RSPB Bempton Cliffs, added: "We have campaigned for years for this legislation which is key to the health of the sea off Bridlington and our nation's seabirds.

"Sandeels are key to life in the sea and an important food source for our iconic and threatened species of birds that Bridlington and Flamborough are world famous for.

"Puffins, Kittiwakes, gannets, and a host of other species as well as dolphins and whales, attract thousands of visitors to this part of the coast.

"Sandeels and a healthy sea put money into the local economy and nature into our lives."

Sandeels are caught commercially for use in animal feed and in oil production.

Danish fishing organisations have described the North Sea ban as "unnecessary" and claim that sandeel stocks are plentiful, disputing the scientific evidence.

Esben Sverdrup-Jensen, from the Danish Pelagic Producers' Association, said the ban had a "massive impact" on the industry.

"It means we have lost about half of the fishing grounds that we have traditionally fished on for decades," he said.

Mr Sverdrup-Jensen disputed the claim that sandeel stocks were under threat.

"Sandeel is probably the best managed fishery in the world," he added.

The court case at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague will hear three days of arguments on whether the British ban breaches the EU-UK Trade and Co-operation Agreement (TCA).

The hearing marks the first time the two parties have been to court since Britain left the EU in 2020.

UK conservationists believe the outcome of the case could be hugely significant for seabird populations along the east coast.

A judgement in the dispute is not expected until April.

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