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The CNPMEM has called on French fishermen of France to strike in protest over the economic hardships being forced upon the sector
The Comité National des Peches (CNPMEM) has called on the fishermen of France to strike today and tomorrow, 30 and 31 March, in protest over the economic hardships being forced upon the sector.
Echoing the letter from The Organization des Poissonniers Écaillers de France (OPEF), the French Fishmongers Organisation, the CNPMEM has told fishermen to tell the Government that enough is enough, and fishermen will no longer be bullied into being seen as the bad guys of Europe.
Today’s strike follows on from the blockade at the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer over the proposed introduction of a trawling ban in marine protected areas. They have also called on fishermen and seafood producers from other EU member states to join their action to get their concerns listened to at EU level.
They say in a post on the CNPMEM website:
“For three years, the fishing and seafood industry has been plagued by crises: COVID, Brexit, energy.
“Seeming to ignore the economic and social reality of companies, broken promises, new court decisions, or variable political orientations further worsen the sustainability of the sector. Its very existence is compromised by incessant harassment and piecemeal support without guidance towards a vision for the future. Fisheries policy is not built in courts or cabinets. It has been built and continues to be built every day by professionals through their representatives in a spirit of continuous improvement for decades.
The accumulation of standards, threats, and disputes calls into question the very foundation of our profession by making us feel guilty for exercising our jobs: our only objective is to feed the French and the Europeans.
“The cup is full, and we need to give a future to all the players in our sector because today the horizon is dark.
“Consequently, the CNPMEM calls for Two “Dead Sector” days on Thursday March 30 and Friday March 31.”
The CNPMEM says the action will be used to organise the movement with other sectors. They also set a list of demands:
NATIONAL CLAIMS
- Meeting with the Presidency of the Republic
- Revision of the current role of decentralized services
- Overhaul of the Marine Mammals Action Plan: refusal of spatio-temporal closures, refusal of on-board cameras.
- Diesel: solution to be found for related companies and accelerated payment of aid already granted.
- Ship safety: harmonization absolutely necessary between ship safety centers and between DIRMs.
- Fisheries control: increased harmonization guaranteed in writing, reduction of control pressure.
- Litigation harassment destabilizes our fisheries (lean, eel, glass eel, bass, etc.): guarantees to secure us.
- Sole temporary stoppages: payment of the remaining payments as soon as possible.
EUROPEAN CLAIMS
- “Resilient fisheries” action plan: pure and simple withdrawal by the Commission
- PCP: revision of the landing obligation
- Diesel: raise the de minimis ceiling
- Demand the preparation of the post 2026 deadline in the context of Brexit
AMPLIFY OUR MOVEMENT AT EUROPEAN LEVEL
Finally, the CNPMEM will mobilise its counterparts from all the countries of the European Union for firm action with the European Commission and the European Parliament on European demands. Already, some professionals have asked us for information on what the CNPMEM has planned to do.