Activists fry fish quotas

Concerned about vastly depleted fish stocks and new quotas being set by European Union ministers, environmental activists in Belgium last week sent a message to officials by blockading the agency’s building.

According to The Associated Press, Greenpeace volunteers spent a chilly Monday (Dec. 17) morning using building blocks to wall in the entrance to the Brussels facility. Others chained themselves to the makeshift wall. At issue is the EU’s continued refusal to close areas known for their fragile fish populations.

Joe Borg, EU’s fisheries chief, acknowledged most fishing stocks in Europe remained overfished. For the forthcoming year, the ministers are considering cutting quotas for cod and sole by 25 percent. Their decision is further scrutinized by fishermen who say their livelihood is at stake.