The Dutch fishing vessel FV Margiris, the second largest vessel of its type in the world, spilled more than 100,000 dead fish off the coast of France in the Atlantic, forming a carpet of carcasses spotted by environmentalists.
The spill, which happened on Thursday morning, was caused by a rupture in the vessel’s net, according to the fishing industry association PFA, which represents the vessel’s owners. In a statement, the group said the spill was a “very rare occurrence”.
For its part, the environmental group Sea Shepherd France, which recorded footage of the incident, said it believed it was a spill of unwanted fish, a practice prohibited by EU fishing regulations.
French Minister of the Sea, Annick Girardin, said the images of the dead fish were “shocking” and that she had directed the country’s fisheries supervisory authorities to investigate the incident.
Fishing vessels like the Margiris use nets more than a kilometer in length and process the fish in factories installed on board, a practice criticized by environmentalists.
Marine traffic data from the website marinetraffic.com showed on Friday (4) that the vessel, owned by the Dutch company Parleviliet & Van der Plas and which sails under the Lithuanian flag, was still operating off the coast of France.
Source: Folha
