The European Court of Justice has refused to grant French driftnetters a temporary exemption to permit the use of driftnets. Oceana has reported the French fleet on numerous occasions for using this illegal fishing gear in the Mediterranean, which it says operated with support from the French government.
Driftnets were prohibited in the European Union in 2002 because they constitute a threat to the conservation of cetaceans, sea turtles and sharks. Oceana has reported that Italy and France continue using this illegal fishing gear to capture bluefin tuna and swordfish, years after the ban entered into force.
Up until last year, the French fleet had taken advantage of legal loopholes to continue carrying out their activities. In 2007, however, these loopholes were eliminated when the EU approved a legal definition of a 'driftnet'. Despite this, in support of their fleet, the French government has taken various legal measures to attempt to perpetuate the use of this illegal gear. The European Court of Justice recently ruled that the French driftnet fleet should not have a temporary exemption from the ban as requested by their Government. As such, the French government cannot offer the driftnet fleet its protection in 2008. Any fishing vessel using this gear to catch bluefin tuna must be sanctioned by French authorities.
According to Xavier Pastor, the Executive Director of Oceana Europe: “This decision is a very important step to eliminate driftnets from the Mediterranean. The ruling also mentions the fact that these nets have been banned for the capture of threatened species since 2002, and not only since the 2007 EU agreement on a driftnet definition, as the French government has always claimed. This corroborates Oceana's long-held stance: French driftnets have been illegal since the ban entered into force, although the French government has protected them with decrees and special fishing permits”.
