BREAKING NEWS !
The French government is being sued for failing to outlaw bottom trawling in Marine Protected Areas.
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The French government has been formally asked by the Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF) and Defense des Milieux Aquatiques (DMA) to address its noncompliance with EU and French regulations pertaining to bottom trawling, one of the most damaging fishing methods. These regulations are obviously broken by allowing this practice to continue in some of France's most biodiverse and endangered marine areas. The NGOs claim that this situation puts the long-term sustainability of the fisheries in jeopardy in addition to compromising the integrity of these places.
Legal action will be taken in a French court if the government fails to appropriately respond to this formal request. The request specifically targets two maritime protected areas, Chausey and Bancs des Flandres, where bottom trawling is causing habitat destruction. A major factor in the decline of marine biodiversity is bottom trawling, which is the practice of dragging weighted nets across the seabed. It unintentionally captures non-target species and damages bottom habitats over time. It is concerning to note that 77% of France's marine Natura 2000 sites still engage in bottom trawling, which is obviously against the law.
"Destructive bottom trawling persists unchecked in many of France's protected areas, despite the country's significant on-paper commitments," stated Steve Trent, the CEO and founder of EJF.
The science and the rules are clear: bottom trawling is not permitted in marine protected zones. To guarantee that these crucial safeguards are more than just lines on a map, France needs to take immediate action. Bottom trawling must end immediately in all of these regions if they are to be properly preserved, Trent continued.
The NGOs claim that while the request focuses on two Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), it also illustrates the larger problem of insufficient enforcement of current legislation. They contend that in order to ensure a sustainable future for fisheries, which rely on healthy oceans, bottom trawling in MPAs must be prohibited. According to the NGOs, permitting bottom trawling in these protected regions runs counter to this objective. Maintaining adjacent fisheries depends on the health of the environments inside and outside MPAs.
The legal foundation for safeguarding marine ecosystems is in place in France and other EU member states. Adequate steps to make it a reality are what's lacking. DMA President Philippe Garcia stated, "We hope that this legal action will prompt the French government to act quickly to stop destructive fishing in its protected areas."
"France and other EU member states can fulfill their commitments to their own citizens and the international community by upholding the law and guaranteeing a just and equitable transition to more sustainable activities," the DMA President emphasized
By Beata Stur
Source europeaninterest.eu
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