Following the decision by the French Council of State to order a closure of fishing grounds in the Bay of Biscay to protect cetaceans, more than half of the Lorient fleet expects to remain tied up until the end of February.
The closure applies to around 450 gillnetters, pelagic trawlers and other fishing vessels from 22nd January to 20th February, throughout the Bay of Biscay, as well as applying to fishing vessels operating under other flags.
The measure is affecting around forty of the Lorient Keroman fleet, and the effects go down the chain to hit the port’s seafood trade.
Five of the six vessels operated by APAK are tied up, leading to an estimated shortfall of 220 tonnes of fish and a roughly €600,000 loss of turnover.
‘This sets an extremely serious precedent, since it is the first time that our activities have been managed before a court which made its ruling on the basis of lobbying by a handful of associations, without taking into account scientific reports and the efforts made by the industry,’ argued Olivier Le Nézet, president of the Lorient Keroman Sem and president of national industry organisation CNPMEM.
He commented that fishermen have intensified their efforts to limit accidental captures of small cetaceans, adding that fishing gear manufacturers, suppliers, chandlers, fishmongers, transport operators, distributors and fishmongers also find themselves reeling from this blow to a sector which supports food sovereignty by providing locally-caught sea food.
To signal solidarity with the fishing industry, the flags at Lorient town hall have been lowered to half-mast and the traditional ceremony of greetings from the maritime world was cancelled. An open letter has been sent by industry representatives to the President of the Republic, and an online petition has been posted by the National Fisheries Committee.
