Calais Port Paralyzed by Protest over Pulse Fishing
French fishermen blockaded Calais throughout Thursday, halting shipping movements at France's busiest passenger port and a major entry point to Europe for British goods, in protest at losses inflicted by the practice of electric pulse fishing. A flotilla of fishing vessels set out at dawn from nearby Boulogne, the biggest fishing port, and blocked the narrow shipping channel into Calais, said fisherman Stephane Pinto. A spokeswoman for the port said the fishermen's protest ended at about 1600 GMT though it would take several hours to clear a backlog of traffic.
Protesting Fishermen Block Calais Port
French fishermen blockaded Calais on Thursday, halting shipping movements at France's busiest passenger port and a major entry point to Europe for British goods, in protest at losses inflicted by the practice of electric pulse fishing. A small flotilla of fishing vessels set out at dawn from Boulogne and others were expected to join from Dunkirk, said fisherman Stephane Pinto. "The Port of Calais is closed due to French fisherman blockade. Currently no ship movements in the port," P&O Ferries Freight said on Twitter. A Calais port spokeswoman said negotiations were underway and that port authorities expected the blockade would be lifted by midday.
Global Shipping Industry Slams European Parliament Proposals
The world’s national shipowners’ associations in nearly 50 countries – represented by the European Community Shipowners’ Associations (ECSA), the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) and the Asian Shipowners’ Forum (ASF) – have united to condemn proposed amendments, to be voted on by the European Parliament this week (probably on April 18), on a new EU Ship Recycling Regulation. Shipowners especially object to the proposal by the EP Environment Committee to impose a tax on merchant ships of all flags calling at EU ports to fund ship recycling facilities in the European Union.
