Several boats blocked the entrance to the commercial port of Bayonne on Wednesday to warn of “the death of artisanal fishing”. GAIZKA IROZ/AFP
DECRYPTION – The Fishermen’s Union has called for a two-day blockage. The sector is suffering the effects of inflation and lives under the threat of more restrictive rules.
More than two years after Brexit, which saw Paris and London tear each other apart over the access of French fishermen to British waters, anger is brewing again in French ports. At the beginning of the week, the National Fisheries Committee, which brings together the 15,000 sea fishermen in France, called for two days “dead line” on Thursday 30 and Friday 31 March, to protest against the headwinds affecting the sector. In addition to the consequences of Brexit and Covid, the last two years have seen soaring diesel and electricity prices, as well as recent political decisions aimed at restricting fishing areas and durations.
On Wednesday, several boats were already blocking the entrance to the commercial port of Bayonne to alert on “the death of artisanal fishing”. On Sunday, the port of Boulogne, the third in France with 17,000 tonnes of fish sold per year, was also blocked by sailors. The operation lasted 48 hours. In the next few hours, the…
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