Fish could set Olympic record

This is certainly not so and the distance some of our fish have travelled to arrive on our plates could set Olympic records if it was their tails doing the swim.

Of course many of our fish species arrive in the UK frozen from abroad. More than 95 per cent of our haddock is imported.

Similarly, about 80 per cent of our shrimps and prawns are from abroad and that popular cod from the fish and chip shops comes mostly from abroad to the tune of 70 per cent. Most of our tuna is from abroad and is stacked on the supermarket shelves in tins.

However, it is not one-way traffic because the UK catches fish that are not so prolific in foreign waters. Mackerel, herring, salmon, mussels and crabs are all exported. What is perhaps surprising is that fish trade between the UK and Ireland, Germany and the Netherlands is mutual; each imports and exports fish with the UK.

Many of the voters to leave the EU in the referendum were particularly concerned that our British fishing industry should be revamped by re-gaining our fishing waters when we finally leave the EU. This would mean less land, sea and air miles of carbon-based transport fuels and we will be able to clock those Olympic fish in our own waters.

Tony Smith

Brown Bread Street

Ashburnham

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