Last week Princes finally caved in. It seems that heavily discounting all their products in the wake of Hugh’s Fish Fight was insufficient to keep their sales where they wanted them. They have pledged that by the end of 2014 all their tinned tuna will be caught using methods that have long been shown to reduce unwanted bycatch. I was disappointed that the deadline is so far away, but it’s still great when public pressure works. I have that warm feeling from playing a small part in it. I stepped up for nature by sitting on my sofa, with my dog on my lap (who was snoring gently) and emailed Princes to tell them what I thought. One small step for woman.... a giant leap for tuna. John West is next to be netted.
Tuna is only part of the problem. Mark Avery recently captured the complexities of the situation brilliantly – as always Mark’s blog makes a good read if you haven’t seen it yet. The current situation on discards is clearly unacceptable and must be changed. That’s the easy bit - it is less clear what the best solution is. But the RSPB will be working hard to ensure that Europe's waters are better protected, by getting the Common Fisheries Policy reformed in the right way. We’ll be needing you all to step up with us to make it happen.
Finally, to answer my own question in the title – I still think Princes are all frog.