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Gascony: the anger of fishermen at the ban on fishing in the gulf
Gascony: the anger of fishermen at the ban on fishing in the Gulf – (franceinfo)
Fishermen in the southwest of France are in great difficulty. From January 22, they will be banned from fishing in the Bay of Biscay for a period of one month, in order to preserve dolphins. More than 450 ships are affected.
Before the closure of a fishing zone in the Bay of Biscay, incomprehension remains. “We welcome observers on board to find out, to try to collect data (…). The deal was precisely that we tried to adapt to avoid these closures“, regrets David Lamourous, president of the Gironde fisheries committee. The State Council took the decision to ban fishing for a month in the face of the growing number of dolphins injured or killed by fishing nets.
“80% of dolphins found dead are marked by fishing gear”
For the associations behind the seizure, these temporary closures are a necessity. “Today fishing is four, five times the natural mortality. That is to say that 80% of dolphins that are found dead are marked by fishing gear.“, recalls Jérôme Graffe, France Nature Environnement lawyer. Closing fishing for short periods could allow resources to replenish and offer better yields.
