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Image: visserijnieuws.nl
Shrimp fishing concerns
(NETHERLANDS, 2/10/2023)
GRONINGEN - Five years ago, Belgian shrimp fishermen received a nature permit from the Dutch government to fish in Natura 2000 waters along the Dutch coast.
Four environmental organizations disagreed and want to enforce a ban through the courts. The permit has now expired, the lawsuit was filed last Tuesday.
In accordance with the Benelux treaty, Belgian and Dutch fishermen are allowed to fish in each other's waters.
To fish in Natura 2000 waters (Westerschelde, Vlakte van de Raan, Voordelta, North Sea coastal zone), Belgians still need a Wnb permit, just like their Dutch colleagues. This was issued to Belgian fishermen in May 2018.
The nature organizations – the Wadden Association, Natuurmonumenten, the North Sea Foundation and the World Wildlife Fund – find the ecological substantiation of the Wnb permit insufficient and speak of additional (Belgian) fishing pressure in Natura 200 waters that are already intensively fished (by Dutch fishermen). Last autumn, the planned lawsuit was canceled because the Belgian fishermen themselves prematurely surrendered their licenses valid until December 31, 2022. The nature organizations then argued that they still have an interest in bringing proceedings.
 Last month, 15 nature organizations submitted an enforcement request to the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality not to tolerate Dutch shrimp fishing due to scientific doubts about the impact of seabed disturbance by shrimp fishing gear. Formally, things are separate. But the judgment of the court in the Belgian case can certainly have consequences for the Dutch colleagues.
The discussion in Groningen on Tuesday was not only about seabed disturbance (especially about its positive consequences for razor clams, which nature organizations see as harmful to biodiversity), but also about bycatch of (protected) shad shad and alleged disturbance of common scoters by shrimp fishers . It should be noted that those ducks benefit from razor clams as their favorite food.
Legal advisor and biologist mr.drs. Bert Keus (the author of the Dutch Appropriate Assessment, which was used with a short supplement for the Belgian Wnb permit application) did not respond dissatisfied after the hearing. Together with director Emiel Brouckaert of the Rederscentrale, he repeatedly emphasized that shrimp fishing should be seen as an existing use and therefore does not require a nature permit as long as the activity does not increase.
The court will rule in about six weeks.
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