Guest of franceinfo on Saturday, Romain Ecorchard is delighted with the suspension by the Council of State of fishing exemptions in the Bay of Biscay next January.
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The suspension of fishing exemptions in the Bay of Biscay “changes a lot of things”, rejoices Saturday December 23 on franceinfo Romain Ecorchard, lawyer at the France Nature Environnement association. The Council of State, seized in summary proceedings, suspended on Friday exemptions contained in a government decree which prohibits certain boats from fishing in the Bay of Biscay next January, judging them “too important” to reduce accidental capture of dolphins.
This suspension now concerns “around 300 vessels over the period from January 20 to February 20, which could have continued to fish”explains Romain Ecorchard, “large machines which capture cetaceans at sea, dolphins and porpoises”, and who can kill them. With the exemptions issued by the State, this fishing ban would not have concerned “only ten boats”according to the lawyer, on the “1,000 who fish in the Bay of Biscay”.
“We are not yet out of the threat”
“Normally, those who will be able to fish during the period are not supposed to be dangerous” for cetaceans, but “we are not yet out of the threat”, warns Romain Ecorchard. For him, this period will allow “monitor the effectiveness of this measure”. The lawyer at France Nature Environnement recalls that there was “1,300 strandings [de cétacés] Last year”which equals “10,000 dead” in everything, according to him.
Finally, Romain Ecochard responds to the anger of the fishermen concerned, some of whom propose strengthening the scaring devices, which already exist. “We must maintain them”concedes the lawyer, “but this must be coupled with a closure, a total closure of fishing and for a sufficiently long period.” Finally, he accuses “the State Secretariat for the Sea” for lying to the fishermen “by making them believe that they would be able to continue fishing”.