A FISHMONGER who was inspired by celebrity chefs campaigning against fishermen throwing dead catches back into the sea, has launched a petition in Colchester.

Kevin Hughes, a former commercial fishermen, who in 2008 opened Hughes Fishmongers, watched a recent television series which showed tonnes of dead fish being dumped back into the sea.

Channel 4’s Big Fish Fight, fronted by chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, showed how fishermen had to get rid of cod, haddock and more, in order not to go over the amount allowed under European Union quotas.

Yesterday, Mr Hughes launched a petition at his Head Street fishmongers asking customers to support a growing campaign to change quotas and put an end to the dumping.

The aim is to collect enough local support to ask Colchester MP Bob Russell to sign a Commons Early Day Motion, calling for an end to the EU’s fisheries campaign and for “an environmentally and economically sustainable” replacement.

Mr Hughes said: “I don’t think Mr Russell has signed this Early Day Motion for discarding marketable fish.

“I didn’t want to just go to him and say will you sign this, so I thought I would get some backing from the public. It will mean he can see the people of Colchester care about this issue.”

Mr Hughes and other campaigners are calling on fisheries minister Richard Benyon to force changes when the Common Fisheries Policy is reformed this year.

Any changes will need to stop forcing fishermen to discard excess catch, while, at the same time, not allowing them a free-for-all which would threaten the future of different species.

Mr Hughes said: “How they go about doing it, I don’t know.

“But there’s talk of doing away with quotas and limiting the days at sea the fishermen can work, but allowing them to keep everything.”

Mr Russell, who last month signed a different Early Day Motion condemning the dumping of dead fish, was unavailable for comment.