The control and enforcement of fisheries in France

The report finds that fisheries enforcement in France is characterized by declining inspection rates, low levels of sanctions that lack deterrent effect, and a failure to implement the EU penalty point system. It highlights a legal contradiction where imprisonment is prohibited for infringements committed beyond the 12-nautical-mile territorial sea, and notes significant inconsistencies in official data reporting across different government agencies.

• The number of fisheries inspections in metropolitan France has declined significantly, falling from 6,019 to 4,531 over four years. Specifically, there was a 13.5% decrease between 2014 and 2015 and a further 5.1% decrease in 2016.
• France has introduced a legal provision in the Rural and Maritime Fisheries Code that prohibits imprisonment for fisheries infringements committed beyond the 12-nautical-mile territorial sea, which the report argues is based on an incorrect interpretation of UNCLOS.
• The EU penalty point system for serious infringements is not being effectively applied in France, a finding supported by a 2017 European Court of Auditors report.
• Sanctions for fisheries infringements are generally low and lack a deterrent effect. In 2014, the average fine for cases that reached a court was 1,675 Euros, and 89.1% of criminal cases were resolved through out-of-court settlements.
• Official data on fisheries controls and infringements are inconsistent and contradictory across different authorities, including the CNSP, the DPMA, and the Ministry of Justice.
• The French fisheries control system is fragmented across national, regional, and local authorities, leading to a lack of coordination and an uneven 'level playing field' for operators.
• France's electronic logbook software was not updated between 2013 and early 2017, meaning it lacked the necessary fields to report on the landing obligation introduced in 2014.

APA

Druel, E., & Polti, S. (2017). The control and enforcement of fisheries in France. ClientEarth. https://www.clientearth.org/media/4oajqvsp/the-control-and-enforcement-of-fisheries-in-france-ce-en.pdf

Chicago

Druel, Elisabeth, and Sandrine Polti. The control and enforcement of fisheries in France. ClientEarth, 2017. https://www.clientearth.org/media/4oajqvsp/the-control-and-enforcement-of-fisheries-in-france-ce-en.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Druel |first1=Elisabeth |last2=Polti |first2=Sandrine |title=The control and enforcement of fisheries in France |publisher=ClientEarth |date=September 2017 |url=https://www.clientearth.org/media/4oajqvsp/the-control-and-enforcement-of-fisheries-in-france-ce-en.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{druel2017control, author = {Druel, Elisabeth and Polti, Sandrine}, title = {{The control and enforcement of fisheries in France}}, institution = {ClientEarth}, year = {2017}, month = sep, url = {https://www.clientearth.org/media/4oajqvsp/the-control-and-enforcement-of-fisheries-in-france-ce-en.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }