Dutch fishermen were prevented from unloading their goods at Boulogne-sur-Mer after their French counterparts launched a blockade on Thursday. In the latest incident in a long row over post-Brexit fishing rights, local fishermen also blocked access to the local fishing auction in the French port.
An industry source said Dutch vessels were spotted as recently as August 5 and said they were “exploiting” vital fishing stocks in the channel.
Regional fishing chiefs claim the Dutch vessels are becoming more regular in the eastern Channel and are a threat to French vessels who see them as serious competition.
Dutch vessels regularly use a method that can threaten fish stocks, French fishermen argue, and are unsustainable.
This method, known as fly-shooting or pulse fishing, involves using multiple nets to encircle and capture shoals of fish.
Heavy ropes drag across the ocean floor which will displace whatever is underneath.
2021 Express Newspapers