French fishermen cause ferry chaos
STRIKING French fishermen blockaded the ports of Calais and Boulogne yesterday causing chaos.
Ferry services were disrupted by a protest against pulse fishing which uses electrified nets to stun fish.
Irate trawlermen mobilised a flotilla of boats which sailed from Boulogne and Dunkirk to Calais. Small boats stopped ferries entering or leaving the busy port while a roadblock halted traffic at Boulogne.
At one stage fishermen allowed only one service to leave France every hour causing chaos at Dover where P&O and DFDS Seaways suspended services.
Dover MP Charlie Elphicke added: “It is unacceptable the French are allowing strikes in Calais to cause disruption on both sides of the Channel. This underlines why we need investment in Kent’s roads and lorry parking facilities to stop trucks clogging up traffic.”
Pulse fishing remains highly controversial because fish are stunned to make them easier to catch. The Dutch are the biggest users saying it is better for the environment than traditional trawling but critics say it is depleting stocks.
Road Haulage Association chief executive Richard Burnett said: “The knock-on effects of yesterday’s strike by French fishermen for hauliers will be considerable. We had no pre-warning of the action, so as a result we were unable to warn our members of what was happening.
“Our concern is that the ensuing backlog will have turned them into sitting ducks for migrant activity. These people, desperate to reach the UK by whatever means possible, must have thought that all their Christmases had come at once. We fear greatly for the safety of drivers as lives and livelihoods are put under threat.”
Meanwhile, migrants were involved in running battles with the police in Calais yesterday as officers smashed up an illegal camp.
Tear gas and baton charges were used to restore order as about 100 young men – including many from African countries – threw stones.