The Bay of Biscay extends from Brittany to the northern coast of Spain. This is a ban from January 22 to February 20, 2025, “a period with a high risk of bycatch”, according to the European Commission. The closure applies to fishing boats over 8 meters in length. Based on figures from the Member States affected, the committee expects the measures to affect around three hundred ships.
“Accidental catches in fishing nets, together with natural mortality, diseases and disorientation, have contributed significantly to the strandings of dolphins and small cetaceans in the Bay of Biscay,” explains the European Commission. In addition to the closure, smaller fishing vessels must use “acoustic deterrents” to keep dolphins out of their nets.
According to the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES), around 9,000 dolphins die each year due to accidental catches on the French Atlantic coast. This figure is well above the threshold of 4,500, which endangers the survival of the dolphin population.
