France prohibits fishing for a while in order to save dolphins

France has decided to stop most of the fishing in the Bay of Biscay for a while to keep dolphins safe.

It will begin on Monday and continue until February 20, impacting fishing areas along the country’s Atlantic coast.

According to experts in France, about 9,000 dolphins die in the bay every year because they get caught in fishing gear by accident.

Local fishermen think the ban is “crazy” and are worried about not making money. But the government said they will give money to make up for it.

Last year, the State Council, the main administrative court in the country, said that environmentalists wanted to protect the marine animals better, so they had to move.

According to the news agency AFP, this ban is the first one since World War Two, and it will last for about a month. Fishing will almost completely stop in the area from Finistere in Brittany to the Spanish border during the ban.

Boats that are longer than 8 meters (26. 2 feet) will be impacted, and it is estimated that about 450 French boats will not be able to be used.

Some people in the industry think they might lose a lot of money, but the French government said they will give them money to make up for it. Minister Christophe Béchu told TF1 TV that most of the money lost will be given back, and they will give it back quickly.

Raymond Millet, a fisherman from La Rochelle, says that boats 9 to 11 meters long are not used for catching dolphins.

“It’s ridiculous to shut down businesses like this for a whole month. ”

Some people say the money offered by officials is not enough. The French fishing industry group CNPMEM criticized environmental groups and said the marine animals are not at risk.

Environmentalists say animals can get stuck or tangled in things like nets, ropes, and fishing lines. The International Whaling Commission says that smaller animals often die right away because they can’t come up to the water’s surface to breathe.

Bigger animals can get stuck dragging heavy ropes, buoys, or nets for a long time before they die, said the IWC.

Philippe Garcia, who is in charge of the group that protects sea animals, said that fishermen should follow the ban.

“He said if the fishermen don’t cooperate, it will be bad for them because it will make environmentalists’ arguments stronger if dolphins keep dying. “