Overview
- The three groups, which filed at the Conseil d'État on Tuesday, accuse the government of failing to track and curb accidental captures of protected seabirds.
- The groups cite studies estimating more than 34,000 birds die each year in French waters, with many deaths missed because drowned birds sink at sea.
- Species flagged include the critically endangered Balearic shearwater, the near threatened northern gannet, and the endangered common guillemot, based on IUCN listings.
- Longlines and gillnets pose the highest risk, and trials show night fishing, faster sinking lines, curved hooks, and better handling of fish waste can sharply cut deaths.
- The case follows a 2022 European Commission infringement action over similar failings, and a ruling could force stricter monitoring and bycatch rules along the Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts.