Seabirds: three NGOs lodge an appeal with the Conseil d'État against France's inaction

An appeal was lodged on 15/04/2026 by ClientEarth, Sea Shepherd France and Défense des milieux aquatiques (DMA) against France before the French Council of State, for inaction in the face of the risks of extinction of seabirds, the three NGOs said on 21/04/2026.

This action for annulment is "directed against the implicit decision of 18/02/2026 by the Minister for Ecological Transition to reject" a prior appeal lodged in December 2025, ClientEarth tells News Tank.

"Every year, tens of thousands of seabirds are killed off the French coast: they are caught accidentally, trapped in fishing gear, during fisheries targeting species such as hake, sea bass and tuna. France has one of the highest rates of accidental capture of seabirds in the world", say the NGOs.

In a letter of formal notice, the associations called on the French government "to implement measures to improve data collection and effectively reduce the capture of seabirds by fishing gear in French waters", adds ClientEarth. The French government was given two months, until 15/04/2026, to respond.

In their appeal for annulment…