Brussels, 26/06/2007 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday, the European Commission may decide to take France before the European Court of Justice in order to put an end to “thonaille” fishing in the Mediterranean. This traditional fishing method (a net weighed down with an anchor) is used by around 80 French fishing vessels under 18 metres in length in order to catch blue fin tuna and swordfish. Since the infringement procedure was initiated in 2003, the Commission has repeated that “thonaille” is assimilated to driftnet fishing which has been banned in the EU since January 2002 for tuna fishing in the waters of the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. Driftnets had been banned as they were the cause of by-catches, dolphins in particular.
In July 2005, the Commission had sent a reasoned opinion to France (second stage in infringement proceedings before referral to Court) calling on it to stop using this method of fishing and to prosecute those breaking Community regulations. However, nearly two years after the letter of formal notice, France has still not taken the necessary measures to ban “thonaille” fishing. France, for its part, considers that “thonaille” is not a driftnet but a “surface-anchored net”.
It should be noted that the Commission also initiated infringement procedures against Italy and Spain, whose fishermen were reported to be illegally using driftnets in the waters of the Mediterranean. (lc)