Wales: Government wants more oily fish on school menus – Fishupdate.com

Wales: Government wants more oily fish on school menus Published:  06 December, 2007

THE Welsh Assembly Government said it wants schools to serve more oily fish at dinner time when it published a 20-year plan for fishing today.

It said children should eat more fish and shellfish, especially those with omega-3 fatty acids.

New guidelines would put oily fish on school dinner menus at least once every three weeks.

Rural Affairs Minister Elin Jones said there was an opportunity for schools to serve more fish caught and processed in Wales.

She began consulting today on a strategy for the fisheries industry, which brings in about GBP200 million to Wales and supports around 3,000 jobs.

The draft strategy says: “Fish (and shellfish) shall be available at least once a week in primary schools and at least twice per week in secondary schools.

“Of that fish, oily fish should be available at least once every three weeks.”

Wales’s fishing industry should take advantage of this potential for a “significant increase” in demand, it says.

Ms Jones said: “The health benefits of eating oily fish are now well known.

“This presents a clear opportunity for the Welsh fleet and the strategy asks for views on ensuring we are able to process more fish in Wales, which will reduce food miles and encourage local procurement.

“There could be scope for the industry to provide fish to Welsh schools for example, which will be good for the industry and provide children with a healthy diet.”

The strategy says that EU fleets – mainly from Belgium, France and Ireland – pose a long-term threat to local fishing because of their historic rights in Welsh territorial waters.

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