Mass Swarm of Dead Fish in Atlantic Prompts French Inquiry

Dead fish float in the Bay of Biscay, off La Rochelle, western France, on Feb.3, 2022. Sea Shepherd via AP

PARIS—France and the European Union are investigating why a massive swarm of dead fish was released by a huge trawler in the Atlantic Ocean off France, after an environmental group released dramatic video and photos of the incident.

The images by the group Sea Shepherd show a blanket of dead blue whiting fish floating on the surface of the Bay of Biscay, off the coast of southwest France. The group estimates it held some 100,000 dead fish.