The recent European Parliament vote in favor of the application of "zero discharge" at sea seafood untargeted continues to react professionals with passion. Some see it as an attack against the offshore fishery (trawl net).
First, there are professionals denounce the inability to manage the technical and social surplus they will catch back to port while their boats are not equipped to store this additional fishing unprofitable. Others see the new directions taken by Parliament in fisheries management are positive signs for a better consideration of inshore fishermen.
Environmentalist lobbying
According to the association Lorient fishing and Collective Development, " this reform organizes the dismantling of the Breton fishing . " And according to the Collective is not a coincidence. He is convinced that European decisions are the result of repeated actions, and listened to Brussels, a powerful lobbying ecologist. " From the Reform vote by the European Parliament, two declarations analyzes have confirmed that we keep repeating since the launch of the project , "writes Alain Le Sann. " One of the leaders of Pew (nongovernmental organization) says that reform takes policy implementation in the United States. We know the results of this policy: mass privatization of fishing rights, wilderness setting under the supervision of ENGOs and oil companies, like California. "
Conspiracy theory
The Collective fishing and developing line of sight " from Pew and various foundations of large U.S. multinationals, the most powerful, Walmart, well known for his outrageous social practices, have decided to promote this type of policy in Europe. Why they created a fake nose, Ocean 2012, a coalition of ENGOs and some fishermen, entirely under the control of Pew. "
Worse, according to Alain Le Sann, these ENGOs " have baited the world of small-scale with the support of Greenpeace and WWF to give a masking their social liberal and socially destructive project. "Le Collectif Lorient speaks clearly" to a shameless manipulation of the public and elected officials . "
According to him, " the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy comes even as the stock situation improves in the Atlantic and Mediterranean even for bluefin tuna. All fishermen say, the most endangered species is the fishermen burdened with a multitude of constraints more or less consistent. The defense of a small fishing necessary, but confined within 12 miles, can only serve to hide a liquidation of artisanal fisheries on the rest of the European Economic Area . '
Threat on minimum sizes
A vision is not shared by the Platform of Small Scale Fishing French. It expresses a position less clear, " more nuanced "on the European Parliament vote. Representatives emphasized " that the socio-economic consequences of certain actions deserved to be better taken into account. "They also point collateral damage. " If the discard ban is not accompanied by technical measures to increase the selectivity of fishing gear, the consequences could have an adverse effect on the resource as including the loss of minimum catch sizes. "
As these jacks can not be rejected for human consumption deadweight for industrial oils and fishmeal could also accentuate this through. Fishermen " to 12 "enthusiastically welcomed the significant progress made in the preservation and defense of Little Fishing segment, timely measures coming at a time when large ships, under the guise of fuel economy, redeploy their fishing effort in the coastal strip and threatened by the excesses of the means employed, the stocks subservient to these coastal areas.
The coastal satisfied
Two provisions given special attention: 1) The European Parliament calls on States to consider exclusive or preferential access to small scale fishermen in the coastal strip, " emphasizing the selectivity and low environmental impact fishing techniques deployed . " 2) The fishing opportunities will now be allocated not only according to the prior art, but also on the basis of environmental and social criteria such as the impact of fishing practices on the environment or creating local economic benefits .
These new guidelines reflect an ambition to restore the unprecedented traditional fishing all their importance, and this text was adopted by an overwhelming majority of MEPs (502 against 137), marks a turning point for the future of our coastal communities.
Small fishing underrepresented
" However, our French parliamentarians (with rare exceptions) are fairly mobilized on the issue of the importance given to small fishing segment. French authorities themselves, in their voting instructions sent to the French MEPs have completely evaded the question. "
This French cultural exception " does not fail to ask in a country where more than two thirds of fishing enterprises arming small-scale fisheries. The chronic under-representation of the segment in the national professional representation may explain in part the lack of interest. Proof if any were needed that there is a lot of work information and awareness commit to convince the small fishing has a great future. "
Story from the Ouest France - translation courtesy of Google.
