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Farming Today: Drift Net Fishing Ban, Wildflower Seeds, Maedi Visna

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08/07/2014

Drift Net Fishing Ban, Wildflower Seeds, Maedi Visna

BBC Radio 4 - Farming Today, Drift Net Fishing Ban, Wildflower Seeds, Maedi Visna

UK fishermen respond to proposals for an EU-wide ban on fishing with drift nets.

Proposals for a blanket EU ban on fishing with drift nets - UK fishermen say they are unfairly paying the price for illegal fishing elsewhere in Europe.

UK fishermen respond to proposals for an EU-wide ban on fishing with drift nets, and say they're being forced to pay the price for illegal fishing elsewhere in Europe.
There are about 250 boats using this method in the UK, particularly around Wales and South East England. The European Commission is proposing a blanket ban on the use of such nets, to protect dolphins, sharks and birds which can get tangled in the gear. But British fishermen say they adhere to the strict rules protecting wildlife and it's unfair to punish their industry for problems in other parts of Europe. Anna Hill puts those claims to the European Commission's fisheries spokesperson Helene Banner.
An incurable sheep disease which came to the UK more than 30 years ago has now reached a critical point in its spread, with 15% of flocks in some counties testing positive. Maedi Visna spreads very easily by nose-to-nose contact, attacking the sheep's immune system. Katrina Ritchie, a vet at Scotland's Rural College, tells Anna Hill why it's on the rise.
And those 'wild looking' wildflowers growing on road verges and roundabouts - it turns out they're not so wild. Nancy Nicholson meets one grower who carefully farms and harvests them. Giles Laverack of Scotia Seeds in Scotland supplies more than 200 different wildflower and grass seed mixes used by public and private landowners all over the UK.
Presented by Anna Hill and produced by Anna Jones.

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