France condemned for using driftnets

EJF commends ruling by the European Court of Justice condemning France for the use of illegal driftnets in the Mediterranean Sea.

London, March 2009

Despite driftnets having been banned for use in the European Union since 2002, France and Italy have been repeatedly exposed by various organisations for continuing the use of these ‘walls of death’.

In 2007 the European Commission finally denounced France for not controlling or inspecting the use of illegal driftnets (known there as ‘thonaille’), and for not taking sanctioning measures against the offending vessels. With this ruling by the European Court of Justice the case against France has finally been closed. A similar process is currently being conducted against Italy, and it is hopeful that a similar ruling will be found.