Unwanted fish being dumped despite new laws

The government says it will develop a new policy on discards after leaving the EU

Unwanted fish are being dumped back into the sea despite new EU laws designed to stop waste, an investigation has found.

Under the laws fishermen are no longer supposed to "discard" fish when they catch more than their quota allows.

BBC Inside Out South West has seen videos of fish being thrown back into the sea.

Fishermen say the rules still mean they can be fined or banned if they go over agreed quotas on certain species.

The campaign was brought to the fore by celebrity chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, who argued the EU's quota system meant fishermen were compelled to discard fish that were too young, overfished or species for which they did not have a quota.

The UN Agriculture Organisation estimated that 13% of all catches were being thrown back every year, amounting to 1.3 million tons of fish.

Fisherman Steve Walker said he could not afford to bring certain species of fish to the shore

The new laws mean fishermen have to bring species covered by EU quotas back to shore.

A spokesman for government department Defra said it would look to create a policy that is "fit for purpose" after leaving the EU.

It added "many fishermen feel unable to comply, resulting in some suspected continuing discarding".

Steve Walker, a fisherman from Plymouth, said: "I can't risk going to sea and catching that particular species if I'm going to get prosecuted.

"If it's going to affect my business then I'm not going to bring it in because I cannot afford not to go to sea.

"And if it means I have to throw away six or seven fish then I'm going to do that because I've got to survive."

The investigation will feature on Inside Out South West on Monday, 2 September at 19:30 BST.