Storm warning for Breton fishing"

“The Breizh Mer association held its 4th universities last week in Saint-Malo . The Secretary of State for the Sea, Hervé Berville, was announced but did not come. Unfortunate, because the fishing industry is going through a particularly agonizing period. To name just four areas of concern: inflation, Brexit, the fleet exit plan, marine energies.

Inflation: already impacted in recent years by Brexit and the decline in fish consumption, the sector is facing rising fuel costs. In addition, the President of the National Fisheries Committee recently announced that "the cost of electricity consumption will be multiplied by ten from January 2023, having renegotiated the contracts". However, the ports do not seem to be able to benefit from the tariff shield granted to SMEs. It is urgent that the Brittany region be alongside the sector to obtain a saving tariff shield.

“The ban on building a new boat for five years would be an economic disaster”

Brexit: we are barely out of the conflict over fishing rights in British waters and negotiations will resume due to the review clause between the European Union and the United Kingdom. We ask the question: how does the Brittany region organize itself to defend the interests of our fishermen in Paris and Brussels? We are awaiting answers within the Brexit working group which we have asked to meet and adopt a roadmap.

The fleet exit plan: or rather the "breakage" plan! The ban on building a new boat for five years would be an economic disaster for supply companies, auctions, wholesalers…. A fleet exit plan must be accompanied by a support strategy for the construction of new, more energy-efficient and economically efficient vessels. However, it was not presented to us. Does it exist? Here again, we would like the Brittany region to show its voluntarism and become more openly involved.

“On offshore wind, the voice of fishermen can and must be heard”

Marine energies: at a time of examination by the Senate of the law to accelerate renewable energies, it is more than urgent to know the intentions of the Brittany region with regard to offshore wind power. The wind farm project off the bay of Saint-Brieuc proves, if it were still needed, that the question of conflicts of use must be taken into account. The voice of fishermen can and should be heard. Will the region demand that they be respected if by chance the government plans to set up other projects on our coasts?

Brittany, which offers the largest coastal and littoral zone in France, is considered the leading French fishing region. But for how much longer? Breton fishing should be able to participate in the reconquest of our unfortunately lost food sovereignty…. but do not take the path. The President of the Republic is announced present at the start of the Route du rhum, in Saint-Malo on November 6. We bet that the regional president will be the spokesperson for the difficulties of an entire sector. It is his role and there is urgency. 

Full story courtesy of Isabelle Le Callennec, regional councilor of Brittany, president of the Hissons haut la Bretagne group.