While it is a great thing that these fashionistas feel strongly enough to pose with only a haddock to preserve their modesty, how much difference is this really making to fish stocks? Image: www.fishlove.org, an OCEAN2102 project, produced by Nicholas Röhl, co-owner of Brighton Japanese restaurant Moshi Moshi, and actress Greta Scacchi, initiated in 2009 to promote 'End of the Line'". © Rankin 2012
That’s what I was asking myself after reading last UK Sunday Times magazine feature on the fishlove photos taken by fashion photographer Rankin. Jerry Hall and Mick’s spawn Lizzy Jagger among other fashion luvvies. The photos are part of the very laudable Ocean2012 campaign to stop overfishing in European waters.
I thought the publicity given to the need to conserve fish stocks, promote sustainable fishing and eating by celebrity chefs was probably enough to cope with for us humble, caring pescatarians. But no, now we have to cope with the gratuitous nudity of the beautiful people to convince us to do the right thing.
While it is a great thing that these fashionistas feel strongly enough to pose with only a haddock to preserve their modesty, how much difference is this really making to fish stocks? There are Chinese fishing boats illegally chasing tuna in the Mediterranean and less than 1% of UK coastal waters are protected as marine reserves – which are so far, the only proven method of saving fish from the trawlers.
I’m glad the beautiful people are waking up to the beauty of fish about to be hoovered out of the ocean, but it’s the ugly myopic decision-makers who must awake in the end if we hope to make a difference.
