Olivier Leprêtre, president of the Hauts-de-France regional fisheries committee
Credit : Olivier Leprêtre
An agreement has just been reached between fishermen from France, Belgium and the Netherlands concerning the use of demersal seining in the Eastern Channel. This important advance aims to better regulate this controversial fishing technique.
What is demersal seining?
Also known as “Danish seine”, this method involves encircle schools of fish using large cables deployed on the seabed. The fish are thus pulled towards the fishing net. This technique is mainly used by Dutch factory ships in the waters of the English Channel.
A response to the concerns of local fishermen
In recent years, fishermen from Boulogne-sur-Mer have regularly expressed their concerns about what they consider to be overexploitation of marine resources by these large vessels.
From Monday November 18 the agreement provides better regulation of the practice of demersal seining. Lhe foreign boats, which could fish up to 6 miles, will be pushed back 9 miles on the Hauts-de-France coastline, and 12 miles opposite the Normandy coast.
Olivier Leprêtre, president of the regional fisheries committee, remains cautious about this agreement. Indeed, several Dutch ships have not yet signed the document:
France
