/ 
Opposition to the five-mackerel quota is no longer confined to recreational fishermen. In Boulogne-sur-Mer, former French Fisheries Minister Frédéric Cuvillier directly challenged Minister Catherine Chabaud, calling for a review of the catch ceiling.
A former fisheries minister speaks out
The political dispute surrounding the five-mackerel-a-day quota for recreational fishing has taken on a new dimension. In a letter sent on March 10 to Catherine Chabaud, the French Minister for the Sea and Fisheries, Frédéric Cuvillier, MP and mayor of Boulogne-sur-Mer, called for a review of the limit set out in the draft decree.
A former Minister of Fisheries, the Pas-de-Calais local councillor knows all there is to know about quota management mechanisms. In his letter, he first recalls the scientific context that led to a sharp reduction in fishing possibilities for mackerel. For 2026, French professional quotas will fall from around 12,000 tonnes to 2,427 tonnes, a reduction of almost 70%, in line with the recommendations of the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea.
Massive mobilization of recreational anglers
But the former minister insists above all on the unprecedented mobilization generated by the draft decree. The public consultation launched by the government received over 6,250 contributions, an exceptional volume for this type of administrative procedure.
In the thousands of responses received, one recurring message was the lack of understanding of the limit of 5 mackerel per fisherman per day. According to Frédéric Cuvillier, a majority of participants asked that this ceiling be raised to 10 fish per day.
The MP also points out that these fishermen are "responsible, aware and committed to sustainable resource management". He therefore calls on the Minister to take into account the results of the consultation and reassess the measure.
Growing political pressure
This letter comes against a backdrop of growing political pressure surrounding the quota project. Several members of parliament have already questioned the government in recent weeks, relaying the concerns expressed on the coast.
In his letter, Frédéric Cuvillier explicitly requests that the results of the public consultation be taken into consideration before the final publication of the decree. For the former minister, the scale of the mobilization now requires reconsideration of the catch ceiling envisaged for recreational fishing.
This letter follows one from another fisheries minister, Stéphane Travert, and numerous MPs, including those in the presidential majority.
It remains to be seen whether these interventions will have any real influence on the government's final decision, when the text is due to be published in the coming weeks.
