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France - Channel blockade

French fishermen suspend blockade but protest will continue

Article published on the 2009-04-16 Latest update 2009-04-16 08:20 TU

Lorries queuing to use channel tunnel during the French blockade of Calais on 15 April 2009(Photo: Reuters)

Lorries queuing to use channel tunnel during the French blockade of Calais on 15 April 2009
(Photo: Reuters)

Striking fishermen in the north of France temporarily suspended their blockade of Calais and Dunkirk on Thursday morning to meet and to discuss their protest against European Union fishing quotas. Boulogne-sur-Mer remains blockaded and the movement may spread to Dieppe, le Havre and Cherbourg.

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Agriculture and Fisheries Minister Michel Barnier promised four million euros of aid when he met fishermen's leaders on Wednesday night.

But they had already declared that they would settle for nothing less than a rise in EU fishing quotas, especially cod. A rise in stocks allowed France to win a 30 per cent rise in cod fishing in the North Sea for this year, after a 25 per cent rise in 2008.

Lawyers acting for French and British ferry companies say that a court has ordered the lifting of the blockade of Boulogne and Calais, threatening heavy fines for loss of business if its order is not obeyed.

Union leaders vowed to defy the ruling.