French fishermen dump oil in protest over Prestige
Date: 17-Jan-03
Country: FRANCE
Oil slicks from the tanker, which sank off the northwest Spanish coast last November, have hit beaches running halfway up France's Atlantic coast, hitting fishing businesses in areas like the Gironde and the Arcachon basin.
"We have been fishing for oil instead of fish for the last 10 days. We are no longer fishing, we are cleaning up because the basin is our livelihood," said Alain Argelas, head of the Arcachon union of fishermen, shipowners and employers.
Oysters and other shellfish farmed in the Arcachon basin have been banned since January 4 on fears of contamination by toxic fuel oil from the Prestige. The industry employs around 1,000 people in 350 firms.
The fishermen, who dumped the sludge at the maritime affairs office in the port of Arcachon, are demanding 150 euros ($159) per fisherman per day of work lost, and 450 euros a day for each vessel commandeered by the government to help with the clean-up.
Argelas said they had received no reply so far.
Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin has pledged 50 million euros to fund the clean-up.
The public prosecutor's office in Brest earlier this month opened a criminal enquiry at the request of President Jacques Chirac to establish responsibility for the spill, while local authorities prepared separate lawsuits to pursue damages.