British fishermen attacked by French boats in the Channel

[Elton]

British fishermen have been attacked by French boats in the Channel, raising fears of battles among rival boats over resources as quota limits bite and declining stocks make fishing ever more difficult.

 

Article here:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012...-french-channel

[seafoods]

Article here:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012...-french-channel

 

Typical of the guardian to bring quotas into it, scallops are non pressure stock and are not quota controlled but why let that get in the way of a good story?

 

The BBC have a less dramatic version of the story and the guy they spoke to owns the Vertrouwen so I would assume knows what happened.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-sout...otland-19908339

[Bob Shotter]

Typical of the guardian to bring quotas into it, scallops are non pressure stock and are not quota controlled but why let that get in the way of a good story?

 

The BBC have a less dramatic version of the story and the guy they spoke to owns the Vertrouwen so I would assume knows what happened.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-sout...otland-19908339

 

The thing is I’m lead to believe that the scallop fishery around Scotland is buoyant, that is what one Scottish scalper (Steveg) has insisted. So one must ask, why do these Scottish boats need to be fishing off of the French coast in any event.

[seafoods]

The thing is I’m lead to believe that the scallop fishery around Scotland is buoyant, that is what one Scottish scalper (Steveg) has insisted. So one must ask, why do these Scottish boats need to be fishing off of the French coast in any event.

 

 

Various reasons, including the fact that the Irish Sea is in it's annual closure which runs from 31st May till 1st November every year. The Vertrouwen is a Dumfries & Galloway boat, her home waters are in their annual closure, they need to work to make a living. Some boats work on the West Coast of Scotland when the Irish Sea is closed, some work on the East Coast of Scotland and some go to the Channel, it's the way it's been for fifty years.

[Bob Shotter]

Various reasons, including the fact that the Irish Sea is in it's annual closure which runs from 31st May till 1st November every year. The Vertrouwen is a Dumfries & Galloway boat, her home waters are in their annual closure, they need to work to make a living. Some boats work on the West Coast of Scotland when the Irish Sea is closed, some work on the East Coast of Scotland and some go to the Channel, it's the way it's been for fifty years.

 

I rather gathered that there would be a logical reason and thank you for the explanation Shaun.

 

None the less would it not be in the interest of all concerned that here we have an example of the French looking after their fishery

 

If and it is a big if all these boats were to work an area near to their home port with an exclusion to outsiders then the fish stock might be in a far better state. The whole idea that if we don’t fish it someone else will seems to be a major problem with this EU Common Fishery can you imagine that working on our farms.

[seafoods]

I rather gathered that there would be a logical reason and thank you for the explanation Shaun.

 

None the less would it not be in the interest of all concerned that here we have an example of the French looking after their fishery

 

If and it is a big if all these boats were to work an area near to their home port with an exclusion to outsiders then the fish stock might be in a far better state. The whole idea that if we don’t fish it someone else will seems to be a major problem with this EU Common Fishery can you imagine that working on our farms.

 

The French Government may be at fault for not acting on behalf of their fishermen to get the EU to ban all fishing in an area they wish to see closed, or the French fishermen themselves may be at fault for not asking their government to do so. The French fishermen are operating a voluntary closure in much the same way Scottish fishermen originated real time closures, the difference being that the Scottish fishermen asked their Government to get it made mandatory for all, the Government did so. If an area is open people will work it, especially if they have a track record of working there, which is the case.

[Bob Shotter]

The French Government may be at fault for not acting on behalf of their fishermen to get the EU to ban all fishing in an area they wish to see closed, or the French fishermen themselves may be at fault for not asking their government to do so. The French fishermen are operating a voluntary closure in much the same way Scottish fishermen originated real time closures, the difference being that the Scottish fishermen asked their Government to get it made mandatory for all, the Government did so. If an area is open people will work it, especially if they have a track record of working there, which is the case.

 

Again many thanks for the explanation Shaun, seems morals don’t enter into this then. Once the UK boats realised what was what did they up and leave in the interest of sustainability and French Fishermen’s livelihood or are there still cries for help?