NWWAC challenges Ridens Natura 2000 fishing measures, questioning science, non-discrimination, enforcement clarity, and missing socio-economic assessment impacts
Advisory Council Questions Scientific Basis And Fairness
The North Western Waters Advisory Council has raised a series of pointed concerns over France’s proposed fisheries management measures within the Ridens et dunes hydrauliques du détroit du Pas-de-Calais Natura 2000 site, questioning whether the restrictions are scientifically defined, fairly applied, and properly assessed for their wider impacts on the fishing sector.
In a formal response dated 26 January 2026, the NWWAC addressed a consultation launched by the French Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs, Fisheries and Aquaculture under Article 20 of the Common Fisheries Policy. The measures would apply inside France’s 12 nautical mile zone and include restrictions on certain mobile bottom-contacting gears within designated habitat areas.
At the centre of the NWWAC’s critique is what it describes as a lack of clarity around the technical thresholds being used to justify gear prohibitions. Referring to proposed restrictions in the so-called circalittoral rock and boulder triangle area, the council stated that it “seeks clarification on the definition of mobile bottom-contacting gears exerting a pressure greater than 10 mbar and requests further information on how this relates to the Ifremer abrasion index calculations”.
The advisory council noted that the consultation document refers to an “Ifremer abrasion index” without identifying a specific regulatory or scientific standard. According to the NWWAC, this creates uncertainty for fishermen who would be expected to comply with the measures, as well as for authorities tasked with enforcement. It therefore called on the French administration to explain not only the scientific basis of the index, but also “how the competent authorities would enforce and monitor compliance with this measure”.
Socio-Economic Impacts Missing From Assessment
Beyond technical definitions, the NWWAC challenged the absence of any meaningful socio-economic analysis. The council said the consultation fails to demonstrate that the proposed conservation measures have been assessed for their impact on the fishing industry and coastal communities.
“The consultation document does not refer to any socio-economic analysis undertaken to assess the social and economic impacts of the proposed measures on the fishing sector,” the NWWAC stated. It warned that environmental objectives should not be pursued in isolation, adding that “measures aimed at ecological sustainability should not come at the expense of social and economic sustainability, nor undermine food security”.
The advisory council recommended that France carry out a comprehensive socio-economic assessment covering the European fishing fleet operating in the area, including associated costs and displacement effects. Without such work, it argued, there is no evidence that the balance required under the Common Fisheries Policy has been achieved.
Non-Discrimination And Foreign Fleets
A further concern raised by the NWWAC relates to whether the measures would be applied in a genuinely non-discriminatory manner. While EU law requires equal treatment of domestic and foreign vessels, the council said the information provided does not demonstrate that this standard has been met.
The NWWAC stated that the analysis underpinning the measures is insufficient to show that “the proposed measures are applied in a non-discriminatory manner to all fishing vessels”. It recommended the development of a comprehensive map of fishing effort over at least the past five years, covering all fleets and gear types operating in the area.
According to the council, limiting the analysis of foreign vessel activity to the 2023–2024 period risks drawing conclusions from short-term anomalies rather than representative trends. It warned that such an approach could mask disproportionate impacts on non-French fishermen and undermine confidence that the measures are driven solely by ecological considerations.
Cumulative Pressures Ignored
The advisory council also highlighted the failure to consider cumulative pressures on fishing activity in the eastern Channel. It said the consultation does not adequately account for the combined effects of Natura 2000 measures alongside offshore renewable energy developments, real-time closures, seasonal restrictions, shipping lanes, and adjacent marine protected areas, including those in UK waters.
“The cumulative loss of accessible fishing grounds risks concentrating fishing activities in increasingly limited areas, potentially increasing operational and safety risks at sea,” the NWWAC warned. It argued that without a broader spatial assessment, the true impact of the Ridens measures on the fishing community cannot be properly understood.
While acknowledging and welcoming its involvement in the consultation process, the NWWAC made clear that significant gaps remain. Its response signals that, in its current form, the proposed Ridens Natura 2000 measures raise unresolved questions about scientific justification, fairness, and the practical consequences for the fishing sector operating in one of the Channel’s most complex maritime spaces.
