Facing vote on European subsidies, fishermen cling to way of life

Date: October 22, 2013

Source: New York Times

Author: David Jolly

COMBRIT, France — In a world of giant trawlers and fish-farming operations, Gwenaël Pennarun still sets out most days from this Breton village to catch sea bass the old-fashioned way, with baited hooks. It is a way of life, and work, that he hopes the European Union will continue to support, depending on a coming vote on its fishing policies.

Early on a crisp and windy morning recently, Mr. Pennarun, 50, was a few miles offshore in the Bay of Biscay, hooking minnows and playing out several dozen long lines with an efficiency born of 30 years on the job. Though the risk of a fatal fall overboard is always present for someone working alone, he nevertheless appeared oblivious to the tilt of the deck and the soaking spray as his 8.5-meter, or 28-foot, aluminum boat climbed and plunged with each wave.

Continue reading: www.nytimes.com/2013/10/23/business/international/as-eu-subsidies-vote-nears-fishermen-cling-to-way-of-life.html

Posted on Categories EU FisheriesTags