Phone number for sea emergency services :
replacement of 1616 by 112
 
The european emergency phone number was replaced on the summer season of 2011 : 1616 does not work anymore.
We heard about the disappearance of this phone number for sea emergency (reachable by cellphone). From now on, we will have to type 112, european number for emergency calls, and ask for a connection with our area's CROSS. This development is progressive depending on the various telephony services providers. We consider the abandon of the number 116 as significant regression.
Indeed, calling 112 will connect you to a general ermegency service but not with the CROSS, which will cause an unavoidable waste of time. This decision was taken without any dialogue and is therefore not tolerable. The FNPPSF will take actions that are necessary to guarantee a preservation of maritime safety.
We only can advise each boaters, once again, to possess a VHF and use the standby channel (16) in order to connect with the CROSS. At sea, the VHF (channel 16) is still the most recommended mode of communication with the lifesavers.
Ashore witnesses, if you ever glimpse someone being in trouble at sea, please use your cellphone to call 112. It is a number that enables you to contact the emergency services for free.
 
New decree for shellfish picking in Vendée
 
The new decree 69-2011 of the 29th November 2011 regulates shellfish picking and revoke the decree 99-2010.
Among the modifications brought to recreational fishery, we remark that the size of scallops is now of 4 cm (1,5 inch) (from 3,5 cm (1,37)), that using a three pronged fork is now possible if its width and its depth are of 10 cm (3,9 inches).
Regarding the professional shellfish picking, the use of a raballe* and of a frelotte* is authorised.
However, we regret that this decree was not taken after a preceding consultation of the FNPPSF representatives' opinion and particularly of the Comité Départemental 85's opinion.
(link) Download the decree 69-2011.

*for further information, please check those items on Internet.

 





Fixed net on the foreshore
Some of you may have been surprised to hear that the authorisation of setting a fixed net on the foreshore you asked was rejected. That is even more unbearable knowing that you had that authorisation the preceding year and that you made our application within the exact same terms and
conditions.
Facing your worries, and even your suspicion that there have been an arrangement made, we decided to ask for explanations about the awarding criteria by the DTTM services of Loire- Atlantique.
Here is a reminder of the legal texts :
In Loire-Atlantique, the number of fixed nets that can be set on the coastline is limited to 80 by the prefectural decree made on the 13th May 1993. According to the decree 1404 of the 2nd July 1992 (consolidated version on the 27th October 1999), setting fixed nets in the area of the tides' swaying has to be annually authorised.
“Regarding this decree, are considered as fixed nets flat nets and fishing net bags that don't move once they are fixed into the tidal balance areas and to which one can reach at low tide. Anyone who wish an autorisation for fixing nets into the tidal balance areas should address his request by registered letter with an aknowledgment of receipt in such a way that it reach us between the 1st October and the 1st November of the year preceding the one he is soliciting the authorisation for.”
It is important to underline that the authorisation are being delivered exclusively per maritime district and not per municipality as one could think.
The details justifying the solicitation are defined in the article 2.
According to the article 5, “the authorisations are delivered, in the order the solicitations are sent or submitted, as attested by the date on the postmark ; and in line with the number of fixed nets authorised by the decree defined in the article 3 of this decree. They are attributed to the professional fishers as a priority. They are delivered for a calendar year by the prefect of the
relevent territorial department. They are granted in a personnal capacity to holders that commit themselves to practice this fishery in person.”
According to the department of the Direction Mer Littoral, almost 200 solicitions are submitted every year. Most of them are related to the South Loire area, from Saint Brévin to the Moutiers en Retz; and the authorisations are delivered as defined in the article 5 quoted above once the admissibility of the details justifying the solicitation are verified.
Thus, it is possible that your solicitation was rejected if, once its admissibility has been verified, it had been submitted before the 1st October or, a bit too late but within the relevant time-frame, after the first eighty solicitations granted.

 
Marking the fish for recreational fishery :
the decree of the 27th May 2011
 
The decree about marking the fish is applied to every kind of fishery – shellfish picking, underwater fishery, on-board. Marking is to remove the inferior part of the tail and has to be done before landing or on the shore. (lien mort)
Among the species targeted by this decree are the bass, the cod, the dolphinfish, the seabream, the pollock, the saithe, the meagre, the sole and the mackerel.
Any transgression will be subject to administrative sanctions in compliance with the article L. 946-1 and L. 946-4 of the rural and sea fishing Code; or to protective measures in compliance with the article L. 943-1 of this same Code.
Please note that the fish must be marked as soon as it is catched on board, apart from the species that are destined to be released after its catch. For the fish picking activity, the fish must also be marked as soon as it is catched.
 
New measures practicable to pleasure craft licence
 
From the 1st January 2008, a new national training package to guarantee a better safety of the boaters thanks to a complete and coherent learning process of powered pleasure boat-driving.

You can find the form on the official website.
 
New regulations about safety equipment on-board
 
The new regulation, entitled Division 240 and published the 8th April in the Journal Officiel (Official Newspaper) is in effect since the 15th April 2008.

The division 240 (lien mort) replaces the division 224 about safety equiment on-board of pleasure crafts. Please, find some commentaries on the FNPPSF's website.
You can also find the document on the Department of the Sustainable development's official website, as well as the summary form about obligatory saftey equipment.
Please, note that for three navigation areas instead of two, the boaters are due to the regulations below :
– < to 2 miles from a shelter : basic security equipment pack
– 2 to 6 miles from a shelter : coastal package
– > to 6 miles from a shelter : offshore package

The type of security equipment thus depends on the boater's navigation capacities and not on the
type of licence.
On MEEDAT's website (link), you will find :
– commentaries about articles,
– the pleasure crafts' safety equipment (new update)
– the first aid kit
– nautical documents

Make sure to check your safety equipment before setting sail. You can check with the table available here (link).