In bright sunshine, students in the "Maritime Issues and Strategies" major sailed through the Hauts-de-France region on 18 and 19 March 2022. They made successive stops in Dunkirk, Calais and Boulogne-sur-Mer to focus their work on the major issues of sovereignty, resilience and security linked to port activities and fishing.
The very large number of players rubbing shoulders and sometimes clashing in the particularly tight maritime spaces of the English Channel and North Sea are creating difficulties in terms of safety and planning their activities, which are all the more crucial now that the issues surrounding illegal immigration and Brexit are heightening concerns and tensions.
In the presence of Captain Patrick RatierCommander of the Navy at Dunkirk, Maurice GeorgesChairman of the Management Board of the Grand Port Maritime de Dunkerque (GPMD), got the day off to an early start by outlining his strategy for tackling the major challenges facing the GPMD in the face of intense international competition.
Vice Admiral Philippe DutrieuxThe Maritime Prefect for the English Channel and the North Sea then presented the security and safety problems posed by the busiest shipping route in the world after the Strait of Malacca, and the explosive migration flows by sea in his area of responsibility. He also addressed the challenges facing a region of Europe that has been hard hit by Brexit and whose maritime spaces are particularly tight.
Guided tour of the GPMD by Dominique LamminThe presentation made by the Chairman of the Board of GPMD, who is in charge of public relations, was well illustrated. The audience was able to see the concrete expression of the strategy implemented by the GPMD to seize the opportunities of the blue economy and face up decisively to the competition from foreign ports by relying with remarkable foresight on an exceptional land asset.
After a short lunch offered by the GPMD, during which the participants were able to exchange views with Hervé TourmenteThey then headed for Calais, where they were welcomed to the brand-new facilities at the Port of Calais by the Deputy Prefect of Dunkirk, who had joined them for the occasion. Pierre Bavayits Director of Operations and Safety.
A round table, chaired by Lucas LacombeHead of the Office of Security and Trans-manche Affairs, surrounded byHervé Derachethe Regional Director of the Air and Border Police (PAF), the Police Commander David Bethegnies in charge of border services and Pierre Bavay gave listeners an idea of the scale of the issues involved in illegal immigration. They discovered the extent to which this human tragedy, affecting an extremely vulnerable population prepared to risk its life to cross the Channel, does not spare the agents of the State who deal with this situation with a professionalism, dedication and humanity that compel admiration.
The port tour led by Pierre Bavay was a perfect illustration of the exemplary way in which security and customs and health formalities were handled, while maintaining the free flow of people and goods that is essential to maintaining economic activity.
On Saturdays, it's all hands on deck from three in the morning!
Listeners were expected at the Boulogne fish market by Alain Cailler director of France's largest fishing port in terms of volume. After admiring the freshly caught fish during the night, listeners were treated to a totally computerised auction, where the most modern technology has silenced the picturesque frenzy of yesteryear.
Afterwards, buoyed by the traditional Boulonnais breakfast and its tasting of the morning's fishing products, the audience was carried along by Alain Cailler through the Capécure, the traditional name for the port of Boulogne.
The visit to Europe's leading seafood processing centre, which processes over 300,000 tonnes of seafood a year and brings together 140 companies, definitively convinced them of the strategic importance of the fishing industry to France.
The second part of the morning took place in the beautiful premises of the Communauté d'agglomération du Boulonnais (CAB), made available to the audience by its chairman, Frédéric Cuvillier. A fascinating round table discussion on the major challenges facing the fishing industry brought together Yvan GuitonDeputy Director for the Sea and Coastline, Thierry Missonnierdirector of From nord and Alain Cailler.
The auditors were given all the information they needed to explain the importance of the fisheries sector in the Brexit negotiations between Europe and Great Britain.
And to round off this long and eventful morning, Jean-Michel ThillierIn his speech, the Inter-Regional Director of Customs for Hauts-de-France and National Brexit Coordinator for French Customs presented the major challenges of Brexit and the "smart border" invented and successfully implemented by French Customs, whose anticipation has enabled France to keep up with the times and maintain the flow of goods and passengers while dealing with the customs and health formalities imposed by Brexit.
To conclude this seminar, a serious game teleported listeners a long way from Hauts-de-France to the very heart of the South China Sea. In this zone of strong claims and confrontations for the appropriation of maritime spaces, divided by major countries of the region, they were able to confront their analyses and their modes of action to achieve the geostrategic objectives which had been assigned to them.
There's no doubt that after two particularly busy days with little time for sleep, listeners will need a good night's recuperation, often started on the journey back to their homes, to ensure they're ready for their next week's work.
