"From January 1, 2021, there will be more checks on the obligation for fishermen to declare their so-called incidental catches," said the Minister of the Sea to Journal Du Dimanche about the increase in strandings of dolphins on the Atlantic coasts.
"More controls" but no closure of fishing: the Minister of the Sea Annick Girardin detailed in the Journal Du Dimanche her measures to stem the increase in the strandings of dolphins on the Atlantic coasts.
"From January 1, 2021, there will be more checks on the obligation for fishermen to declare their so-called by-catches. Until now, this has not been respected," Annick Girardin told JDD.
Largely insufficient and even "shameful"
"Accidental captures of dolphins, there are some. Other species are also victims. But our scientific knowledge is insufficient to question the whole of a sector today", she affirmed.
"It is not because a few fishermen have irresponsible practices that they should all be condemned. What interests me is how we protect dolphins while having a fishing activity. Sustainable development, c 'is to take into account ecology and human activity, "added the minister.
The government presented its plan on Wednesday to limit the incidental captures of dolphins.
This set of measures has been welcomed by fishing professionals but deemed largely insufficient - and even "shameful" - by environmental associations.
In particular, it plans to impose "pingers" (acoustic devices intended to ward off cetaceans) on all trawlers concerned "throughout the year rather than four months today".
It also includes the presence of observers on ships, experimentation with on-board cameras and the strengthening of aerial overflight "to define the distribution area of the populations of dolphins which frequent the Bay of Biscay".
"Persistent" problem
In recent years, hundreds of dolphins have stranded on the Atlantic coasts and conservationists estimate at more than 10,000 the number of these protected cetaceans died last winter due to fishing activities in the Gulf of Gasgogne.
Faced with this "persistent" problem, despite "well-substantiated evidence" that they are caught in fishing nets, the European Commission in July opened infringement proceedings against France (as well as Sweden and Spain), giving it three months to "take action to reduce bycatch".
A few weeks earlier, scientists from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (Ciem) had recommended for the Bay of Biscay new measures to limit these catches, namely "a combination of temporary closures of problematic fisheries" and the use of "pingers" on pelagic trawlers.