French threaten to block ports
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• Action by angry French farmers to stop British meat and livestock imports intensified this week with a threatened blockade of Paris motorways followed by demonstrations at French ports.
Serious disruption to the movement of freight traffic on the Al motorway 50km north of Paris was scheduled to take place from 17:00-22:00hrs on 28 August. Port demonstrations for the next day were also mooted.
Sealink Ferries remained unconcerned about the likelihood of port demonstrations as most of its livestock and meat customers travel on Sundays. It would not be advising hauliers whether to travel. "That is up to them," says Sealink.
When Commercial Motor went to press it was thought Western French ports were the most likely to be hit,
although little was known about tactics the farmers might employ. "We suspect the publicity is as important as the result," says Sealink.
P&O European Ferries was aware of the motorway action but a spokesman says: "We are not expecting any hindrance to our ships."
The threatened actions are the latest in a series of inci dents, many of them violent, in which French farmers have attempted to stop the import of British meat and livestock which they consider undercut the home-produced market.
Last week the Ministry of Agriculture protested to the French government after a lorry load of sheep was set ablaze by 30 hooded men south of Tours. The driver, Douglas Clarke from Birmingham, saved 220 of the sheep to continue their journey to the abattoir, but 219 were burnt alive.
Ken Bevis of Bondalpha Transport, whose firm fell victim to French anger when a £15,000 cargo of beef was set on fire in June (CM 28 June-4 July), believes the French government is not doing enough to educate the farmers to the error of their ways. As for the British Government, -There is virtually nothing they can do," he says.
The Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food says John Gummer's approach to his French counterparts was met with an unequivocal response. "The French government were equally appalled and will make every effort to deal with the incidents," says a MAFF spokesman.
But the Road Haulage Association continues to receive reports of lorries being stoned, including East German vehicles and wants a joint Anglo/French condemnation.