Boris will bodge it for you

The following reverie being prompted by the imminent arrival of some tilapia fish from China in the fish pie we will be taking for luncheon. That is to say, from China via Sainsbury's.

First stop was to wonder, once again, why a country surrounded by water which has been fishing for large white fish in those waters for a thousand years or more, needs to ship in small white fish from fish farms in the Far East. Or perhaps they are flown in. In any event, something has clearly gone very wrong.

Next stop was to remember that most of the fish that we do catch is exported to the EU, with France being far and away the biggest destination. So what is left of our fishing industry might take some more damage if we annoy the French during Brexit negotiations.

Last stop was to ask Bing about the relevant fish, which turned up reference 4 in short order. A 22 page briefing pack for a debate in the House of Commons in 2017. Perusal of which led me to wonder how many of our Parliamentarians, particularly those of a rabidly Brexit variety, have bothered to get to grips with what appear to be the considerable intricacies of fish management and international fishing policy? Too much for me, that is for sure. And even if there are not too many consumers, the good news is that we still have a House of Commons Library which is up to the production of this sort of material. Or have the three more years of austerity, outsourcing and privatisation - maybe this last in favour of Murdoch's News Corp - since 2017 ground it down?

Last thought is that fishing is a small industry these days, employing maybe 25,000 people, mostly in Scotland. But fishing, like Northern Ireland, but unlike the UK as a whole, seems to be an issue that really does punch well above its weight.

Reference 1: https://psmv2.blogspot.com/2015/03/river-cobblers.html. White fish from Vietnam.

Reference 2: https://psmv2.blogspot.com/2015/08/el-rancho-de-lalo.html. Tilapia from Brixton Market.

Reference 3: https://pumpkinstrokemarrow.blogspot.com/2008/11/oriental-kedgeree.html. Basa from Vietnam.

Reference 4: https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CDP-2017-0256/CDP-2017-0256.pdf. The briefing pack for our Parliamentarians. From which the snap above is taken.