Charles Guyard / Photo credit: Maylis Rolland / Hans Lucas / Hans Lucas via AFP 9:47 a.m., January 22, 2024

From this Monday, January 22 and until February 20, the fishing ban comes into force in the Bay of Biscay, to preserve the reproduction of dolphins.

A measure which worries the sector, which could lose 90 million euros over the period.

Europe 1 went to meet them.

The economic outlook for fishermen has darkened in the Bay of Biscay, where they are banned from fishing from Monday January 22 until February 20.

From Finistère to the Basque Country, 450 boats are docked to preserve dolphin reproduction.

This could cause 90 million euros in losses, according to the National Fisheries Committee.

The entire industry fears for its survival.

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“It’s a crime against small-scale fishing.”

Olivier Le Nézet's words are strong, but the president of the National Maritime Fisheries Committee is categorical: depriving the sector of its main resource risks encouraging fish imports.

“The products come from China where there is no respect for sailors and even less for the resource. These NGOs promote illegal fishing,” he regrets.

“Companies are going to be in very serious difficulty”

NGOs who counted nearly 1,500 dolphins dead last year.

This is a lot, certainly, but relatively marginal, compared to the total number of mammals in the area.

“There were assessments in 2012 and 2022. Between these two periods, scientific reports show that the population remained stable at more than 635,000 individuals,” explains Thomas Rimaud, project manager for Breton fishermen.

For him, the Council of State did not follow the advice of specialists.

"At no time does the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea say that we urgently need to make space-time closures for ships. This is extremely serious. There are companies that are going to be in very big difficulty."

If fishermen are compensated, the measure should however have a strong impact on other stakeholders, such as fish auctions.

As for the consumer, they will have even more difficulty finding French fish on the shelves.