French fishermen brought traffic at key French ports of Calais and Boulogne to a standstill on Thursday to protest against the practice of electric pulse fishing, which uses electrified nets to shock certain fish and bring them to the surface.

A flotilla of fishing vessels left Boulogne, the biggest fishing port, early on Thursday morning and blocked ferries from entering or leaving Calais, said fisherman Stephane Pinto.

"It is utterly unacceptable that a small number of individuals have been allowed to bring to a standstill a port on which thousands of businesses and tourists rely every day," said Janette Bell, the chief executive of British ferry company P&O.

The fishermen's protest ended at about 16:00 GMT (5 p.m. local time), said a spokeswoman for the port, adding that it would take several hours to clear a backlog of traffic.

Nearly 2 million lorries, tens of thousands of coaches and 10 million passengers pass through Calais every year.

Watch video 06:08 Share Jumping shrimp: Trawling with electricity Send Facebook google+ Whatsapp Tumblr linkedin stumble Digg reddit Newsvine Permalink https://p.dw.com/p/16gNe Jumping shrimp: Trawling with electricity

What is electric pulse fishing?

Pinto said the protest was against the so-called electric pulse fishing, which French fishermen claim to be depleting fish numbers.

The technique, used mainly by Dutch fishermen, involves using electrodes to emit electric waves to stun the fish which then float upwards and are easier to catch. France opposes the practice. Former French Environment Minister Segolene Royal called on the European Commission to completely ban the "destructive" technique in 2017.

The technique is technically banned in the European Union but there is an exception. Member states can equip up to 5 percent of their trawl fleet to carry out experimental techniques in the name of research, including electric pulse fishing.

"We're at our wit's end. We feel abandoned," said Calais fisherman Pinto.

The European Parliament earlier this month voted in favor of banning commercial pulse fishing in a major victory for its opponents who liken it to using a taser gun in the water.

The French conservation group Bloom, which is leading the campaign against electric fishing, says the "barbaric fishing technique" could impact marine life.

Supporters, including the Netherlands, which has issued permits to about 80 of its trawlers, say the technique reduces fuel consumption, unwanted catch of other marine creatures and avoids plowing nets along the seabed.

The issue will now be debated with the European Commission and member states and could lead to legislation.

ap/msh (Reuters, AFP)