BELGIUM:Greenpeace activists protesting against what they say is a failure to preserve European fish stocks blocked an EU building yesterday with a makeshift concrete wall that disrupted talks on the issue.
Using seven tonnes of concrete breeze-blocks, protesters quickly erected the 30-metre wall daubed with the slogan "Shut down until fish stocks recover" before the start of annual EU negotiations on fish catches.
The meeting of EU agriculture and fisheries ministers is traditionally devoted to setting country catch quotas for the next year. Many of the EU's main stocks, especially cod, are chronically depleted after years of overfishing.
"Unless changes are made and power is ceded to Europe's environment ministers, Europe's fisheries face a biodiversity and economic collapse," Greenpeace spokeswoman Saskia Richartz said.
Activists erected the barrier in just 30 minutes, before police noticed and began making arrests. Greenpeace also blockaded rear entrances to the Council of Ministers building.
Most of the protesters were bundled into police buses, while about 30 were made to sit in freezing temperatures on the ground outside the venue for the three-day meeting of EU agriculture and fisheries ministers.
