Brussels, 15/12/2006 (Agence Europe) - On the eve of the Fisheries Council, “Euro-Toques International”, a European organisation of some 4,000 chefs in 17 European countries, has called for Member States to show firmness. In a letter sent to Fisheries Commissioner Joe Borg on 7 December, the organisation, intent on “preserving the European culinary heritage”, called for the recommendations of scientific experts to be followed and “reasonable” fishing quotas set for 2007. “For many reasons, stocks of wild fish are being rapidly exhausted throughout the world, and particularly in the EU. Our heritage, including our culinary heritage is seriously threatened because of the lack of reasoned management of European fish stocks,” the chefs wrote. In particular, they back what experts have been calling for since 2001: an end to cod fishing in sensitive zones to allow the stock to recover. Euro-Toques points out that ICES (the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea) estimates that 80% of commercial fish species in European waters are being over-fished. (lc)