Frédéric Cuvillier believes that we are doing “a bad trial” to fishermen who have been making “considerable efforts” for years, while Europe wants to ban fishing in marine protected areas by 2030.
“This announcement of future regulation by the European Commission is both untimely and inappropriate,” said Wednesday March 29 on franceinfo Frédéric Cuvillier, mayor of Boulogne-sur-Mer, former Secretary of State for Transport, the Sea and Fisheries, while the national fisheries committee calls for dead days in ports French to demand from the government answers to a series “attacks” weakening the sector. Professionals denounce “unsuitable European regulations”, in particular a plan to ban bottom fishing in marine protected areas by 2030, and the decision of the Council of State imposing the closure of certain fishing areas in the Atlantic within six months, in order to preserve dolphins whose strandings have multiplied.
franceinfo: Is this dead day in French ports a sign of a serious crisis for French fishing?
Frederic Cuvillier : This is an alert that is marked in the corner of common sense. This announcement of future regulation by the European Commission is both untimely and inappropriate. Untimely because it comes a few months after the consequences of Brexit, badly negotiated with regard to the fisheries sector, and which will still open up new negotiations for the reduction of quotas in British areas, after an exit plan of the fleet, ie the scrapping of boats on coastlines. And there is the Covid, the price of diesel, the energy crisis. The sector is doing badly, given the uncertainties hanging over the professions.
How to reconcile environmental imperatives with the future of an entire sector?
When I was Minister for the Sea and Fisheries, we set up marine protected areas with shared governance. The idea is to involve professionals in the implementation of responsible regulations on the protection of biodiversity. There is really a question of image there. What do we believe? That fishermen go to coral reefs to destroy areas, while trawling, for example, is practiced in identified, controlled places. Often these are sandy bottoms. So the fishermen themselves are co-actors in the management of protected areas. It is a bad case that they are made to oppose the economy to ecology, since they themselves depend, in their profession, in their future, for future generations and for the young people who start these professions , the good ecological state of the sea.
“So it’s really stigmatizing, throwing stigma on professions even though there has been a considerable effort that has been made by professionals for years. Professionals are adapting. We were rather expecting a solidarity approach rather than to still call into question a certain number of professions and therefore the future of fishing on the French coasts.
Frédéric Cuvillier, Mayor of Boulogne-sur-Merat franceinfo
The fishermen wrote in particular to the President of the Republic. They claim to be received by the Head of State. What are you specifically asking for?
What I am asking is that Europe show solidarity with a sector of trades, economies of our coasts, of our territories and which, when Brexit intervened, the destabilized. And we had a number of shocks to this profession. Each time, she adapts, each time she is responsible. But we must rather look to the future, encourage young people to train for trades because we are short of fishermen. We must ensure that we have a fleet renewal plan so that, from an energy point of view, it is more environmentally responsible. Our boats are 30 years old. They have a very high energy consumption with resulting pollution. So Europe must support the modernization of the fleet, support the installation of young people. These are professions of the future, these are professions where there is know-how. There is a very high environmental responsibility.
“This totally worn image of these fishermen being environmentally irresponsible makes no sense because that’s absolutely not the story line and it’s absolutely not what’s been happening for years. involve a lot of marine biodiversity conservation programs.”
Frédéric Cuvillier, Mayor of Boulogne-sur-Merat franceinfo