- The French authorities have banned trawling in the vicinity of the Re islands because of the serious threat to the survival of some marine beings, in particular dolphins and sea bass. Both environmentalists and associations calling for sustainable fishing and for Ondarroa 12 Miles have called for the same measure to be taken for the Basque coast, where fish is highly disqualified and for all seas in general.
The vapours operating with trawl nets for the new year are prohibited from accessing the waters near the island of Re, according to the newspaper Le Monde. The waters of this emblematic island in the Bay of Biscay off La Rochelle and not far from Bordeaux form part of the European Union’s Natura 2000 ecological network because of its importance to the marine ecosystem.
In February 2019, the Pelagis Observatory reported that in the first two months of the year, more than 700 dolphins had appeared dead on the beaches of the French Atlantic, from the Landes to Breitania, due to the wounds suffered in their nets by the trawls. In addition to the annual massacre, the French Government ' s reflections on the importance of Re waters for the reproduction of some fish, such as earthquakes, demonstrated that the waters of the Re area are particularly attractive for their reproduction. Accordingly, the prefecture of Charente Maritime reported on 26 December last on the prohibition of these networks, especially devastated by the sea.
The environmental coordinator Naturkon, in Euskal Herria, referred to the news as follows: "Hopeful news from Europe. A similar initiative has long been being promoted in the Basque Country in the first 12 miles from the coast, but the Basque Government and the trawling lobby are absolutely against it."
