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Association Pleine Mer has hit out at supertrawlers like the Alida swiping fish stock off the French coast. Photo: SK Wolf
French fishermen in the English Channel have hit out at giant supertrawlers ‘plundering the resources of artisanal’ fishers.
Association Pleine Mer, the organisation that represents the small-scale artisanal fish fleet in France have criticised the “passivity of so-called “representative” institutions in the face of this kind of practice is intolerable.”
According to AIS data from the past few days, the giant trawler ALIDA is currently off Dunkirk. The presence of this 100 metre long and 15 metre wide boat did not take long to worry the fishermen of Hauts-de-France, whom the Association claims have already been heavily impacted by the damage from electric fishing.
As a fisherman from Dunkirk explains: “These boats have disproportionate fishing capacities, up to 200 tonnes of fish per day, while we bring back only a few hundred kilos per day, which we add to the stall. After the closure of our cooperative and our auction, seeing such a boat working so close to our coasts makes us want to vomit.”
The presence of this sea monster was quickly relayed throughout the north of the country:
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French fishermen in the English Channel have hit out at giant supertrawlers ‘plundering the resources of artisanal’ fishers.
“The ship- Dutch factory Alida fishing off the Boulogne coast. For a year now, Boulogne fishermen have not stopped denouncing the presence of factory ships in the English Channel. In recent days, it has been the turn of the “Alida”, a Dutch boat about 100 meters long, to fish in the English Channel,” says the Association
“This incident is not anecdotal” continues the Association. “Every year, at the same period, giant trawlers work in the Channel, plundering the resources of artisanal fishermen. In April, during the first confinement, similar boats were working in the Bay of Biscay while 80% of the fleet was docked. And for this second confinement, fishermen can now observe this type of boat in the English Channel.”
On 25 September this year, the baptism of the new supertrawler Scombrus in Concarneau, attracted protests from event organiser, Association Pleine Mer, artisanal fishermen from all over France, and included associations such as BLOOM, the Plateforme de la Petite Pêche Française, the Association des Ligneurs de la Pointe de Bretagne, APECS or ATTAC, who had gathered to say no to the baptism of a new giant trawler.
“The demonstration had been banned, while the representatives of the CNPMEM, FROMNORD and the Dutch armament company France Pélagique toasted the health of this new sea monster,” says Association Pleine Mer.
“As a reminder, the Dutch fishing industry is now in the process of taking control of French fishing, by buying up armaments in order to have access to national quotas. Saint Malo fishing company, oceanic tuna company, Pelagic France… so many weapons that are in reality under Dutch capital,” the Association warns.
“The creation of the “Collective for the end of industrial fishing” following the baptism of Scombrus aims to put an end to these practices, so that artisanal fishermen can continue to live from their profession.”
Source: Association Pleine Mer
