A Floating Mass of 100,000 Dead Cheong-eo Fish off the Coast of France... What on Earth Happened?

French Environmental Authorities Launch Immediate Investigation
Leak Suspected from Bottom Trawling Vessel Sweeping the Seabed

A school of about 100,000 dead herring floating off the coast of France / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Ju-hyung] A shocking mass of dead fish carcasses has been found along the Atlantic coast of France. It is estimated that the number of carcasses floating on the water reaches about 100,000. French environmental authorities are immediately investigating the cause.

On the 5th (local time), according to the British media outlet 'BBC', recently about 100,000 dead herring carcasses were spotted along the Atlantic coast of France. Drone footage shows the dead fish clustered floating on the water, resembling a large dike.

The size of the dead herring mass is reported to be as large as 3,000 square meters (907.5 pyeong). It is as if a fish carcass the size of a large shopping mall or supermarket is floating in the middle of the sea.

The dead herring mass was first discovered by the marine protection organization 'Sea Shepherd'. The discovery location is the Bay of Biscay in the southwest Atlantic Ocean, France.

The scale of the dead herring school was confirmed to be similar to the size of large shopping malls and department stores. / Photo by YouTube video capture

French environmental authorities have immediately begun a detailed investigation into the cause. Anik Jarardain, a French Ministry of Marine official, stated, "The scene is very shocking," and ordered an inquiry into the circumstances.

Currently, authorities suspect that the dead herrings were spilled from the Dutch-owned large fishing vessel 'FV Margiris' on the 3rd.

This vessel is the world's second-largest super trawler. Bottom trawling refers to a fishing method where a net attached to the ship is lowered to the seabed, and the ship moves to sweep up marine life.

While this method can catch an enormous amount of fish, it is also considered a major cause of marine ecosystem destruction because it scrapes the seabed and overharvests countless marine organisms.

According to BBC and others, the fishing vessel explained that due to unexpectedly large fish caught, a hole was torn in the net, unintentionally releasing the herrings back into the sea.

However, Sea Shepherd claims there is a possibility that the vessel illegally dumped unwanted fish species deliberately and insists that strict policies should be applied to the operation of bottom trawlers.