Paris, Feb. 5 (BNA): France and the European Union are investigating why a huge fishing vessel released a huge flock of dead fish into the Atlantic Ocean off France, after an environmental group published sensational videos and photos of the accident.
Images taken by the Sea Shepherd group show a blanket of dead white fish perched on the surface of Biscay Bay, off the coast of southwestern France, according to the Associated Press.
The group estimated that it contained about 100,000 dead fish. French Navy Minister Annick Girardin was shocked by the “horrific” images on Friday, saying she had ordered the National Fisheries Control Center to investigate what happened.
The European Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, Virginius Sinkivius, announced an investigation into the “national authorities of the fishing area and the presumed flag state of the vessel, to obtain comprehensive information and evidence on the issue.”
The Pelagic Freezer-Trawler Association, which represents the Lithuanian-registered Margiris fishing vessel that caught the fish, said in a statement that the fish was “involuntarily released into the sea” on Thursday due to a rupture in the fishing net.
However, Sea Shepherd wondered if it was an accident or instead the deliberate dumping of an unwanted fish. The group calls for more monitoring of the seas – especially large industrial fishing vessels – to protect marine life and oceans.
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