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French trawlers 'sabotage UK gear'
Alexandra Wood ANGRY East Coast fishermen have accused large French trawlers of straying into territorial waters under the cover of darkness and causing thousands of pounds worth of damage to their gear.
A bitter dispute has been rumbling ever since the French found rich pickings off Yorkshire – bringing them into direct conflict with shellfishermen from Bridlington.
In the last few days it has flared up again, with one fisherman left in despair yesterday when he discovered he had lost 60 pots and gear, worth more than 4,000, after a trawler towed through his gear.
Frustrated fishermen have named two French trawlers as the source of their troubles and repeatedly called for help from Royal Navy fisheries protection vessels – but to no avail.
Fisherman Steve Cowan, skipper of the Janoras and chairman of the Bridlington and Flamborough Fishermen's Society, discovered on Sunday that 10 pots and gear had disappeared after lines had been parted by a French trawler.
Last month Mr Cowan lost 100 pots 14 miles off Withernsea.
He said: "We daren't go outside the 12-mile limit because it's getting stupid. The amount of gear that the fleet has lost is running to 30,000 or 40,000. We are getting really angry about it."
Skippers have been trying to raise their French counterparts, who are reportedly fishing whiting and a bycatch of lobster and cod, by radio, and when they have failed, asking the Coastguard to contact them. But they too have had no success.
Bridlington and Flamborough Fishermen's Society said in a statement: "The fishermen of Bridlington are once again devastated and angry that large French trawlers are illegally fishing inside the 12-mile limit.
"After suffering large losses of fishing gear to the French fleet in previous months the Bridlington fleet had moved their fishing gear inside
the 12-mile limit in the knowledge that, although catches would decrease, their fishing gear would be safe, but apparently not. During the hours of darkness French boats have fished within 10 miles of the Yorkshire coast damaging thousands of pounds worth of fishing gear.
"Despite constant requests by the affected fishermen, the lack of effective enforcement against French trawlers blatantly breaching UK fisheries limits supports a view that legislation and enforcement is only strictly upheld when dealing with UK vessels."
Mike Green, of Humber Coastguard, said they had an automatic identification system that picked up merchant vessels of over 300 tonnes, but they had no record of fishing boat movements.
He said: "I believe most of the time they are outside the 12-mile limit or right on it but that doesn't mean to say they haven't strayed inside.
"We haven't been able to raise the French at all."
Mr Green said they'd had complaints on Tuesday and again yesterday, which had been passed to the relevant authorities.
One French boat was fined over 12,000 at Grimsby Magistrates' Court in July after being caught fishing within the 12-mile limit, and there have been three patrols over the last two to three months. But fishermen say they need more.
A Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs spokesman said information received by the Marine Fisheries Agency hadn't indicated fishing inside the 12-mile limit. Interference with gear was a civil matter but the MFA was trying to organise a meeting between the fishermen and the French.
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Saturday 11 February 2012
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