Tag Archives: French National Fisheries Committee

France orders rare Atlantic fishing ban to protect dolphins

The French government will temporarily ban almost all commercial fishing in the Bay of Biscay to protect dolphins, much to the dismay of the industry. The month-long ban off the country’s West coast—the first since the end of World War II—is set to begin Monday and applies to both French and foreign fishermen. It follows calls by environmental activists to protect the marine mammals, pointing to a surge in dolphin deaths on the Atlantic coast. From Finistere in the extreme west of Brittany to the Spanish border, fishing will cease almost entirely until February 20. more, >>click to read<< 09:39

Mon Dieu! Brexit ‘could boot French fishermen out of British waters’

125307_FRENCH_TRAWLERS_BLOCK_CHANNEL_IN_PROTEST_ACTION_OFF_THE_PORT_OF_CALAISFrench_fishermen_st-xlarge_trans++UANfoRQnIGnbhTN5_NhmkiqOxaFrench fishermen fear that Brexit could wreck their industry if they are denied crucial access to British territorial waters in the Channel. The French National Fisheries Committee complained on Tuesday that larger vessels accustomed to fishing in British territorial waters could be deprived of up to 80 per cent of their catch. French boats are currently allowed to fish up to six nautical miles from the British coast but EU laws prevent British vessels from fishing within 12 miles of the French coast. The committee has written to the French prime minister, Manuel Valls, warning that Normandy, Brittany and the ‘Hauts de France’ region around Calais could be “very badly affected” by Britain’s departure from the EU. About 80 per cent of France’s fishing boats never leave French territorial waters, but the remaining 20 per cent, which are larger vessels, bring in up to two-thirds of the national catch. Read the rest here 16:58