Question 8986 — sea and coastline

Summary

Mr. Philippe Gomès draws the attention of the Minister of the Armed Forces to the need to improve surveillance of the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in New Caledonia, by guaranteeing the continued presence of patrol boats in this zone. For months, fishing fleets flying the Vietnamese flag have been crisscrossing the Caledonian exclusive economic zone and plundering fisheries wealth. Thus, since May 2016, 71 illegal boats were identified, 20 were boarded or diverted, and nearly 35.7 tonnes of sea cucumbers were seized in the exclusive economic zone of New Caledonia. Currently, surveillance of these waters is carried out, for the most part, by two P 400 type patrol boats. However, the advanced age of these patrol boats and the maintenance difficulties associated with them make the protection and monitoring of the waters particularly difficult. Caledonian territories. The report annexed to the bill relating to military programming for the years 2019 to 2025 and containing various provisions relating to defense, currently being discussed in Parliament, provides for the delivery of six overseas patrol boats, two of which should be delivered to New Caledonia by 2021-2022. This commitment to strengthening resources relating to equipment maintenance is greet. However, the Minister of the Armed Forces specified, in response to written question no. 812 from Mr. Philippe Gomès that "the two P400 patrol boats [...] will be withdrawn from active service in 2020". While, in the coming years, the future of the world should be played out in the Pacific, it would be inconceivable to leave this maritime space prey to pillage, in the interval which could separate the withdrawal of the former patrol boats from the delivery of new ones, either for one or two years. Without patrol boats in Caledonian waters during this period, France's sovereignty over its overseas spaces and its exclusive economic zones would be undermined. He therefore asks that the removal of this deadline be guaranteed, in order to ensure, on a continuous basis, the protection of French territorial waters.

Machine translation from French. The official text remains authoritative.

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1. 5 May 2018

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• Philippe Gomès · auteur

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