Panicked, the government joins the lobbies and defames BLOOM

12 June 2025

Cornered after BLOOM’s revelations exposed that France’s “announcements” at the UN Ocean Conference (UNOC) are a state scandal, Minister of Ecological Transition Agnès Pannier-Runacher and the government have chosen to double down on denial and defamatory remarks. 

Yet, Le Monde confirmed on Thursday, June 12, that our initial revelations at the opening of the UNOC were accurate: a document from the National Fisheries Committee sent to fishermen clearly states that the “new zones” announced by the President of the Republic and Minister Pannier-Runacher already have “existing bans” on bottom trawling or are “set to have them.” 

The insults levelled by Agnès Pannier-Runacher’s office towards BLOOM, in defence of the ecological fraud created by France, are not only an admission of weakness regarding the facts, but also a demonstration of political irresponsibility and an alignment with industrial fishing lobbies. 

Le Monde article published today confirms what we revealed on June 8: the ban on bottom trawling announced by the government in “new” zones, covering 4% of France’s metropolitan waters, is nothing new. Despite the government’s relentless lies and its strategy of demonising BLOOM, the facts speak for themselves: 

In a document intended to provide “clarifications” to professionals, which Le Monde obtained, the National Committee for Marine Fisheries and Marine Aquaculture (CNPMEM) explains that in the new zones, “the bans already exist” for bottom trawling or “are on the verge of being implemented.” This is more of a recognition of existing regulations than a new ban: “It’s a process of recognizing the quality of existing regulations,” the committee details. Only certain new zones, still under review, may “lead to additional measures in some areas,” following a “case-by-case” approach and in dialogue with professionals and scientists.” 

By developing a map of ecological imposture that satisfies industrial fishing representatives, who publicly support it, but tarnishes France’s reputation on the global stage, the government has revealed its true allegiance to the fishing lobbies, making the political choice clear for all to see. 

A pact of moral corruption between the state and industrial lobbies

Here’s the proof. 

The government has now publicly adopted the position of industrial fishing representatives who want to discard the goal of effectively and systematically protecting 30% of the ocean, advocating instead for a “case-by-case” approach. Protecting on a “case-by-case” basis is what France has been doing for over 15 years, which is why we don’t have real marine protected areas in metropolitan France, just a few scraps. 

The government fought before and during the COP15 in Montreal to prevent the IUCN’s definition of effective and systematic protection of marine ecosystems in protected areas from being adopted. 

France then “infected” the EU with the talking points of the fishing lobbies, which can now be seen in the European Commission’s stance and in the European Ocean Pact—a shift from its previous position. The “Ocean Action Plan” of February 2023 recommended a clear ban on bottom trawling in all European marine protected areas by 2030, starting with a ban in all designated seabed protection zones by March 2024. 

Minister Pannier-Runacher’s ministry developed, at the opening of the UNOC, an anti-scientific and anti-ecological map that only serves to satisfy industrial fishing lobbies. This map was created with the explicit aim of deceiving the French people and the international community. What we revealed is a State scandal. 

Yesterday, Deputy Jean-Louis Roumégas raised a “question to the government” in the National Assembly, demanding full transparency on this scandal, that all meetings between the government and the fishing lobbies be made public, and that all arguments put forward by these lobbies be published. 

The government’s response to journalists has been to present confusing numbers to create doubt, suggesting that the issue is a matter of technicalities, and to divert attention from the real issue: the State’s lie. 

More seriously, the government is now publicly accusing BLOOM of lying, both in the press and in the National Assembly. This defamatory accusation mirrors what the lobbies are claiming to harm us. It’s a sign of panic in the face of facts that expose them. To stick to the facts would force the lobbies and the government, who have made a pact of moral corruption, to take responsibility and truly protect the ocean and artisanal fishermen, as well as to organise the transition of fleets and dismantle part of the destructive industrial fleets. 

BLOOM has revealed how industrial fleets enforce an unacceptable social injustice. Prior to the UNOC and ahead of today’s vote in the Senate on the PPL (Public Policy Law) proposed by Mathilde Ollivier, which aims to create 10% of marine protected areas under “strict protection” and exclude ships over 25 meters from the 12-nautical-mile zone, the lobbies unleashed a campaign of anonymous defamatory harassment against us, in the Senate, the National Assembly, and the European Parliament. The lobbies are also waging a physical harassment and psychological destabilisation campaign against BLOOM: not only did they break into Claire Nouvian’s home at night to vandalise her door, but our colleagues are also being followed on the metro, the internet cable was ripped out of our Paris office, it was cut with pliers in the rented accommodation during the summit in Nice, our scientific director’s identity was stolen, and a defamatory song claiming “Claire Nouvian lies” was played at our events in Paris… These incidents, and more, are detailed in BLOOM’s and Claire Nouvian’s complaint to the Paris Prosecutor for aggravated harassment, incitement to crimes and offenses, property damage, and violation of privacy. 

It is within this unprecedented harassment campaign that the government aligns itself when it chooses to adopt the defamatory rhetoric of the fishing lobbies. This is a serious matter. BLOOM will not back down and calls on the media and politicians to obtain all the information about the ties between the lobbies and the government. 

By making these grave accusations, the government is trying to isolate and demonise BLOOM. We’ve demonstrated the unity of NGOs on marine protected areas and the solidarity between us by organising a joint press conference yesterday with Romain Troublé, the executive director of the Tara Ocean Foundation. NGOs may have different fields and methods of intervention, but we all share the same fundamental commitment to factual science. The government’s crude attempt to divide us to deflect responsibility for the scandalous choice it made to lie to the world at the UNOC has failed. 

The government has made a serious misjudgement: thinking it could get away with such an obvious lie about marine protected areas was a major underestimation of the risks. The map of the “new protected zones” produced by the government clearly demonstrates to the world that France is in service to the lobbies. Delegations are only talking about this. Emmanuel Macron has tarnished France’s reputation and his international credibility has suffered a catastrophic blow. Agnès Pannier-Runacher’s office is under immense pressure, but this does not justify their actions: instead of accusing us, they have two choices: endure the fallout for destroying the reputation of the President of the Republic and France, or come to their senses and present the President with a real ambition that can erase their ecological hypocrisy. 

The government’s obstinate refusal to confirm our analysis and show any ambition has led Agnès Pannier-Runacher and the government to adopt, in line with the industrial fishing lobby’s strategy, the tactic of attacking the messenger by defaming BLOOM in the press and the National Assembly. 

Joining the pack of lobbies with criminal tactics to howl against BLOOM is not fitting for a government.