This represents an increase of 2 % compared to the same survey conducted in November 2013.
Since November 2013, there has been a sharp increase in opinions stating “I strongly agree” with the ban of bottom trawling (+7%) and a decrease of “I do not know” (-3%). French people clearly expect the President of the Republic to hear their desire to see France end this destructive fishing practice.
On January 30 2014, the Intermarché group announced that its fleet would limit its fishing with bottom trawls above 800 m by early 2015. This decision shows that it is possible to maintain the fishery without jeopardizing the jobs at sea or on land. Intermarché’s fleet, Scapêche, owns six of the nine French trawlers fishing in the deep sea. There are only three vessels affected by the ban on deep-sea bottom trawling in France, and deep-sea species represent only a maximum of 25% of their business.
Intermarché’s decision allows the Minister of Fisheries Frédéric Cuvillier and the President of the Repubiblic to defend at the European level a minimum environmental standard for the protection of vulnerable marine ecosystems. “If our President and his Minister of Fisheries have lower environmental ambitions than those of Intermarché, they will be definitely discredited by the public opinion.” commented Claire Nouvian, founder of BLOOM. “Citizens and NGOs clearly expect France to take seriously the protection of marine biodiversity, as France preaches it on the international scene, and defend the ban of deep-sea bottom trawling in Europe. France’s position at the Council will be a moment of truth. If the ban of deep-sea bottom trawling doesn’t happen in Europe, France will be the one to blame. ”
The official position of Member States of the European Union on the deep-sea fishing regulation must be submitted to the Presidency of the Council on February 14. According to a commitment at the French Environmental Conference in September 2013, the official position of France on deep-sea fisheries should be established in collaboration with NGOs. This requires the request of French citizens and 832,346 signatories of BLOOM’s petition to be integrated into the French position for a ban on deep-sea bottom trawling in Europe.
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1. The question was: “Would you want François Hollande to support the European proposal to ban deep-sea bottom trawling, which consists in large weighted nets on the seabed to a depth of 1500m?”
2. BVA/BLOOM opinion poll, November 15 to 18 2013. View BLOOM’s press release
Media contacts
Sophie FREDERIC, Terre Majeure® Agency : +33 (6) 20 34 12 16 – sophie@terremajeure.com
Claire NOUVIAN, BLOOM: clairenouvian@bloomassociation.org
About BLOOM www.bloomassociation.org
BLOOM is a nonprofit organization founded in 2005 working for marine conservation and protection of sustainable fisheries through an approach of public awareness and scientific mediation of environmental issues, the production of independent studies, as well as the participation in public consultations and institutional processes. Its actions are aiming at the general public as well as policy makers and economic actors.
About the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition savethehighseas.org
The DSCC was founded in 2004, to address the issue of bottom trawling on the high seas in the absence of an effective governance regime. The coalition is made up of over 70 non-governmental organisations (NGOs), fishers organisations and law and policy institutes. All are committed to protecting the cold-water corals and vulnerable deep-sea ecosystems.
BLOOM’s petition to French President François Hollande