“No interest in plundering the resource”: Fishermen fight back to highlight their profession

Professionals defend their activity and their passion for the sea. Midi Libre Archive – VINCENT LACOUR

More than 1,000 companies are joining forces around the France terre de pêches coalition. Recruitment, image, challenges at sea: the Hérault spokesperson looks back on these challenges.

A thousand fishing companies, representing more than 7,000 people, have decided to join forces to restore the image of a profession that is, if not unloved, at least suffering from a lack of image.

This national coalition, called France terre de pêches and launched this Wednesday, brings together seven producer organizations (*) on the maritime coasts, including of course the Mediterranean.

“We want to communicate on the realities of French fishing and the challenges to be met”, announces Héraultaise Perrine Cuvilliers, the spokesperson, also general secretary of the OP du Sud which covers Occitanie and Paca.

Four challenges stand before them, which they want to meet by launching a website, an active presence on social networks and concrete proposals to come while the revision of the common fisheries policy is expected in 2025.

First, promote the profession which is struggling to recruit. “We have aging and elderly crews, with an average age of 41, we need renewal”, indicates the spokesperson.

“Many people think that it is poorly paid”

France Terre de pêches will fight against preconceived ideas. “Many people think that it is poorly paid with the image of the ancestral fisherman. But not at all, salaries start at 2000 € at 2,500 euros, you can progress, set up your own business, there is a diversity of jobs and the ships are now all well equipped", boasts Perrine Cuvilliers.

Then, it is a question of defending the necessary decarbonization and the modernization of the fleets.

“We will try to see how to lift the regulatory and financial barriers in the years to come. There is a lot of uncertainty but we have already achieved a 51% reduction in CO2 emissions out of a European target of 55% by 2030”, continues the general secretary of the OP du Sud.

The union of these professionals will not encroach on the National Fisheries Committee which is fighting with Brussels, particularly on the issues of quotas and working days. But, third ambition, it wants to make "spatial planning proposals" linked to the impact of marine renewable energies.

"Professionals want to continue the activity and pass it on"

“We are not being taken into account enough on the issue of wind turbines: the parks will be developed in coastal areas, where there are significant fishing activities,” explains the spokesperson. We are not against their development, but we want to be better taken into account."

Finally, for the coalition, the idea is to break the image of plunderers of oceans and biodiversity that sometimes sticks to the skin of fishermen, who want to distinguish themselves from foreign factory ships that scrape everything in their path, and deliver their counter-expertise.

"Professionals have no interest in plundering the resource, they want to continue the activity and pass it on, French fishing is one of the most virtuous", assures Perrine Cuvilliers. As a result, experts are mobilized to highlight all the diversity of fishing.

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(*) OP du Sud, Pêcheurs de Bretagne, Orthongel, FROM Sud-Ouest, FROM Nord, OP Sathoan, OP La Cotinière. I subscribe to read the rest