The Pelagic Freeze-Trawler Affiliation (PFA) — which represents the vessel’s proprietor — launched an announcement on Friday addressing the incident and mentioned it totally “understands the feelings such pictures can convey.”
Within the assertion, the PFA additionally mentioned: “We wish to make clear that round 5.50am on 3 February 2022, an quantity of blue whiting was involuntarily launched into the ocean from the Margiris vessel, resulting from a rupture within the cod-end a part of its internet. Such an accident is a uncommon prevalence and on this case was attributable to the unexpectedly massive measurement of the fish caught. According to EU regulation, the incident and the portions misplaced have been recorded within the vessel’s log guide and reported to the authorities of the vessel’s flag state, Lithuania.”
Annick Girardin — the French minister for Fisheries and Maritime points — mentioned the sight of the useless fish was “surprising” and requested the nationwide fishing surveillance authority to launch an investigation, to “make clear that challenge in order that we establish the causes of the numerous dumping of fishes.”
In a tweet, Girardin additionally added: “France helps sustainable fishing and this is not mirrored right here. Ought to an infraction have occurred, sanctions could be taken towards the accountable shipowner that can be recognized.”
Virginijus Sinkevičius — the EU Commissioner for Setting, Oceans and Fisheries — additionally commented on the case and referred to as it an “unlucky incident within the Bay of Biscay.”
On Twitter, he mentioned the EU Fee “would react instantly” and are launching an inquiry to nationwide authorities of the fishing space and the presumed flag state of the vessel, to get exhaustive data and proof concerning the case.”
Lamya Essemlali — the top of Sea Shepherd’s French arm — instructed Reuters she believed the fish had been intentionally discharged.
Trawling of this scale is an act that many environmental activists usually protest towards — in 2021, CNN identified that “each day, hundreds of fishing boats all over the world drag enormous weighted nets throughout the seafloor, ensnaring every little thing of their wake and destroying marine habitats” in a narrative on backside trawling, a course of that has been described by scientists as “bulldozing” the ocean flooring.
