Boulogne PO FROM Nord, representing fishing vessels from distant water trawlers to inshore netters, is having to distribute sole allocations to its members cautiously this year following a 14% cut in this year’s quota.
‘It could have been worse,’ admits FROM Nord’s chief executive, Thierry Missonnier, adding that a significantly greater cut to the eastern Channel sole quota had been proposed, and this is a crucial species for the fleet of day boat netters fishing in the Pas de Calais region.
‘The positive side of it is that we have a 3000 tonne TAC for the next four years for Area VIId,’ he said.
This provides some welcome visibility, although it comes with conditions attached, plus some inshore nursery grounds closed to fishing.
‘Quota limits have to be respected by everyone, the French, the British and the Belgians. But this is a quantity we are able to work with and this gives us a level of visibility that we haven’t had before.’
To make the quota last the year, quotas are being distributed carefully and as was done last year, fishing time is being cut back. This means that volumes of sole reaching the auction are limited compared to the availability in previous years, and amounts of sole reaching the market can be managed to maintain a price that will keep the fleet operating at an acceptable level.
