Good news for the ports of Boulogne-sur-Mer and Calais, fishing and transport are doing well
During the greeting ceremony at the Calais ferry terminal, the management of the port, a merged entity of Boulogne-Calais, announced very good figures. Fishing is showing a strong comeback, well above 2019, the benchmark year before the Covid crisis and the Brexit crisis. For its part, the port of Calais is breaking freight records in 2022.
“It’s a very very good year in 2022“rejoiced Benoît Rocher, deputy general manager of the Boulogne-Calais port during the greeting ceremony on Friday evening at the Calais ferry terminal.
“A good year for fishing, we are 25% above the figures for 2019 in terms of the value of fish landed in Boulogne-sur-Mer. Fishing works well, there are companies which are dynamic, which hire in Capécure and which give a future to this fishery in Boulogne-sur-Mer.”
If he presents in detail the figures for 2022 in January, the first ones announced are already excellent. Self”2019 remains the reference year, the one before the Covid health crisis and the one before the implementation of Brexit“recalls Benoît Rocher.
If the question of the return of the Transmanche to Boulogne-sur-Mer remains topical, the Deputy Managing Director of the Société d’Exploitation des Ports du Détroit (SEPD), Benoît Rocher confirms that none of the projects presented so far have come to fruition: “the hub port, the road bridge that exists has not been used for several years, but I remain convinced that this part of the port of Boulogne has a future, a maritime vocation and this subject remains more than ever on the table.“
The port of Calais breaks freight records in 2022
Another satisfaction for the SEPD management: the great port of Calais. Inaugurated in October 2021, it displays a full year in its new configuration and records “two disks” in freight transportation.
The number of trailers passing through the train, “60% increase compared to 2021″ pincreasing from 26,000 to 41,000 and the number of self-driving trailers”also increased by 56%, with 56,000 units, surpassing our 2017 record of 41,000 units“.
Leader in cross-Channel freight, the Port of Calais remains the most efficient in the Strait, mDespite a complex situation due to multiple factors, Covid, Brexit and its new customs obligations then financial crisis.
With the return of the British, tourism figures are also rising, but without returning to 2019 values.he three ferry companies P&O, DFDS and Irish Ferries provide a total of up to 50 departures per day.
The biometric control of all nationals who are not European will be put in place, with the taking of a photo of each passenger and their fingerprints. “A test phase at the national level in agreement with the services of the Ministry of the Interior“says Benoit Rocher.
“If Calais is today the 2nd European port in terms of passengers behind Dover“says Franck Dhersin. “He is actually the first. Because today Great Britain is no longer part of the European Union!” ironically the president of the port council of the port of Boulogne-Calais who is also vice-president of the Hauts-de-France regional council in charge of transport infrastructure and ports.
For Benoit Rocher, “2023 will also be the year of ecological transition“, since two hybrid ferries from the P&O company are expected this year.
Outlook for 2023
Still, the year 2023 will also have its difficulties, recalls François Lavallée, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the SEPD. “Lthe cost of energy. Everything is expensive even if our coast is on the rise and we also sometimes have trouble finding the workforce.”
The situation in Great Britain is another subject of concern for the leaders of the Port of Calais. In a context of inflation which is close to 11% in the country, the discontent of the British over their purchasing power is growing, strike movements are multiplying in a multitude of sectors. “This situation must not get worse, that the car parks on both sides of the Channel become clogged and stop transport between our two countries” emphasizes Benoît Rocher.
The press conference for the announcement of the 2022 figures and the 2023 outlook for the port of Dunkirk will take place tomorrow, Tuesday 10 January.