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Name: Oliver Heart
I have fished with my farther on a J registered fishing charter boat since the age of 8, some 33 years ago and I am now trying to continue with the business. With the current French fishing effort in our waters I don't think fishing will be good enough for my business to continue. During these years I have seen a huge declines in all wet fish species. The majority of J reg fishing boats don't target wet fish. It is mainly French vessels that trawl and net up to our three mile that target such species. During these years I have noted the increase in French trawler activity, many years ago it was not common to see these vessels and we were not affected. In more recent years we have been fishing an area such as the long banks or a wreck where we have been there for many hours of the day only to then be pushed off by a French trawler whilst in Jersey waters. We have also been on anchor and had a French trawler come so close he caught and raised our anchor. All whilst we have the lives of 12 passengers on board. These incidents were reported to poj and fisheries with no action taken. I feel we should control a 12 mile zone or median line to include all sovernty islands. The ban on the use of over 12m trawlers if applied to local vessels must also apply to French vessels.( I belive over 12m French vessels have already been granted permits whilst local bosats ard told we are not allowed we also have hp limits on trawlers which doesn't apply to French vessels in our waters, this is very poor and one sided)
I recently wrote to the French fisheries regarding a Tuna permit in their sea area the reply from Mdm Elsa Tudal was that a non French registered vessel cannot have a permit to fish for any species in French waters. This is very poor as we give them permits.
For a Jersey boat to fish Jersey waters we need a very expensive UK mmo licence to be able to obtain a Jersey permit but the French can come here without the expensive mmo licence. Just doesn't make sense. The French fish our waters without the need to adhear to our rules regarding quota, permitted species like tuna or any regard for our size limits, all fish are taken.
Without the very heavy French fishing effort Jersey was and could again be very sustainable in all fishing sectors.
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