the essential
Sébastien Gaubert, first industrial tribunal of Gruissan and president of the local fisheries committee Aude and Pyrénées-Orientales, fears that during the next mandate the constraints will tighten once again. He finds the profession “too distant” from European decision-makers and legislators.
Sébastien Gaubert expresses a wish for future elected European parliamentarians: “Let them come and see the fishermen and listen to them on the ground”. According to him, parliament is too far removed from the realities and challenges of French fishing. “We only see the elected officials and candidates during the campaign, a month before the vote”, he regrets. For the next mandate, he fears yet another tightening within the framework of the management plans which will be discussed at the end of the year, West Med, in particular which concerns the Mediterranean. “The financial balance of the auctions is already precarious. New constraints for trawler fishing, which provides 80% of inputs while the 140 small businesses only account for 20%, could put the entire industry in great danger. And trawler owners will want to continue fishing. In the event of reconversion, it is coastal fishing which will be overloaded., explains Sébastien Gaubert. Another reason for concern: the threats weighing on eel fishing and the environmentalist lobby which is calling for its ban. “Scientists are not enemies. And in fact, their work shows that the recruitment of glass eels (juvenile eels) in the Mediterranean is increasingly high. Afterwards, the EU sees no solution other than to hit the fishermen, without even know that we did not wait until after her to impose our own constraints. Once again, let them come and listen to us so that the future common fisheries policy takes into account the specificities of the facades!declares the fisherman from Gruissan.
