Off topic fishing Ban 547

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Hi Jane Wow what a comprehensive reply.........excellent stuff.

I wrote an article for a magazine on this topic a while ago now.thats why I have a few facts at my fingertips. A lot of my info came from a really helpful editor at the BBC who had been working for a few months on a documentary on Brittish fish farming..mainly salmon off the Scottish coast . On top of this I corresponded with and spoke to a proffessor at Exeter University who by the way said he would NEVER feed his kids on farmed salmon. Corresponded with educators at Sparshalt Agrigcultural College who were very cagey possibly because of contacts wthin the farmed fish food manufacturers.

Maff wouldnt talk to me initially but did eventually confirm in a carefuly written statement that their recommended levels of farmed fish intake ( weekly) were higher than the World Health recommendations. but seemed to me slightly reluctant to admit it .I also spoke to several people in the trout farming industry .

I cant find my original article but Im sure I can get it back ........and send it to you. ( Im off to france now for 2 weeks, but when I get back) But you can ring people up and ask them . My main issue was on toxins in farmed fish food. As I said the facts are there you just have to dig em out.

Bad practice that I referred to reales to the motivators behind feeding animals( that we are going to eat ) with substandard food , we have seen BSE and what caused it was greed.And I repeat this isnt the case for ALL farmers.But Im worried as things get tougher for farmers financially so more may be tempted to cut corners to survive. The same goes for the last outbeak of foot & mouth. So its those things I see as bad practice in farming. Producing a cheaper product ........by feeding it cheaper and potentially dangerous food. At least the organic brigade are signalling that they are trying to improve things on this front.......but I dont know how true or superficial this is.

A lot of advertisers and marketeers are happy to take the fees and have little social responsibility.....I should know I worked in that indusrty for a long time.

As for the goverments part in all this they are in my opinion innept . corrupt , and have little concept of reponsibility or duty. There are so many politicians who are in the pockets of pressure groups ...they will argue for whoever is paying the most. Westminster is full of Lobbyists who for a monthly fee will connect with the right influencers.The PR companies are there to put the right spin on products..........the design companies create packaging to ring all the right subconsious bells to make you pick the product up... and the Ad companies make you want to buy it .

Its their job! And mum is a seriously busy person.

Home cooking is reducing with busy working mums ..you would be suprised at how many mums wouldnt know how to bake a cake .. processed foods are on the increase. What do they contain.................NO dont get me going again!!!!

I also have not got a problem with the idea of profit... I have run and been responsible for many companies (both in the private and public sector.) all over the world but mainly uk. I worked hard for profit every day. I love profit !!!

.But profit and responsibility should go hand in hand. They often don't.

As for how I would feel if my income was halved through outside influences .Id probably feel I was in the wrong business. But Im sure I would resent it ..before I moved to something else. But some people cant move to another job... Like pensioners . When GAS prices are put up 20% the same day the company announces mbuttive profits....what can a pensioner do on their fixed income. ( by the way I'm not one yet ) But I do feel for my parents who are.

Barry

apologies for crap spelling the outlook express spell checker has done a runner .

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