Letters - June 12, 2018

Every year, countless “non-target” animals, including dolphins, birds, turtles, and sharks, are hauled up alongside fish in commercial fishing nets.

They’re crushed to death, suffocated, or thrown overboard to succumb to their injuries in the water.

Altogether, more than 1 trillion fish and other sea animals die at the hands of humans each year.

That’s about 143 sea animals for every human on Earth. And the ecological impact goes well beyond this so-called “by-catch”.

As giant fishing nets are dragged along the ocean floor, they tear up whatever stands in their way.

Deep-sea trawling is responsible for widespread damage to coral reefs and underwater mountains, and as a result, the ecosystems that depend on these habitats are crumbling.

This reckless destruction of the ocean is both cruel and unsustainable.

The good news is that delicious cruelty-free options, including vegan fish fingers, faux-fish cakes and mock prawns, are affordable and easy to find.

So let’s celebrate World Oceans Day in a way that helps our oceans and shows respect for their inhabitants, by leaving fish and other animals off our plates.

Jennifer White

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals

CARLETON

State of graves 
is a disgrace

Me and my wife regularly visit Carleton Crematorium to maintain our parents’ graves .

On our last visit we were both shocked to find how overgrown it was. What total disrespect for our dead.

It amazes me how immaculate the war graves are and how the rest of society is forgotten

It’s about time Blackpool Borough Council got their act together instead of wasting money on projects that nobody cares about or even uses.

What are our MPs doing these days?

I hope your graves look an eyesore when you’re dead.

Dave Clark

Bispham

RETAIL

Green war on 
our high streets

What was most obvious to me, watching TV reports of the fall of the House of Fraser, was that most of their soon-to-be closed stores are situated in pedestrianised streets with no parking spaces.

I haven’t gone shopping in my local department store in more than 25 years, due to the impossibility of getting my car within several hundred yards of the front door.

I prefer to frequent out-of-town malls with free and convenient parking. It must be nice for the Green anti-car lobby to smugly walk and cycle past the shuttered shops of our high streets, the death of which are largely due to their blinkered efforts.

John Eoin Douglas

Address supplied

BREXIT

A smack in the eye for the Remoaners

Another smack in the eye for the Remoaners who desperately want to keep us shackled to the EU - the British economy is on the up.

A report by research group IHS Market shows that while businesses in the EU have suffered their worst month for a year and a half, our own economy looks set for growth of 0.4 per cent in the second quarter of the year.

Activity in manufacturing and services sectors has strengthened and prospects for further expansion are propitious.

The Brexiteers in government must use this further ammunition to fight their cause and not be browbeaten by those determined to cling to the wreckage of the EU. Voters opted to leave, no ifs or buts, so we must do so - and without further delay.

Paul Nuttall

North West MEP
UK Independence Party

AIRPORT

use enterprise zone cash for the airport

Just think what a great little airport we would have if Blackpool Council put all the money they are getting for this enterprise zone into the airport.

We could have big jets flying to Europe, but instead new airlines like JetBlue are using Liverpool.

We could even have trams going down Squires Gate Lane to the airport terminal, then in the future we would have a direct link from North Station to the airport - what a pity the council didn’t think it through properly.

Wilf Greaves

Bispham