France has arrested a British fishing boat for allegedly lacking licenses and threatens to take further action. The dispute about who is allowed to get how much fish from the sea and where will remain an ongoing issue after Brexit.
In the Brexit dispute between London and Paris over fishing rights in the English Channel, the British government summoned the French ambassador to the Foreign Office. The ambassador should explain the “disappointing and disproportionate threats against Great Britain and the Channel Islands” on Friday, said British Foreign Minister Liz Truss. France had previously arrested a British fishing boat for allegedly lacking licenses.
The fishing dispute has been simmering for a long time. The background to this is the question of how many foreign fishermen will be allowed to catch in British waters after Brexit. During the negotiations on the British trade pact with the EU, this was the most controversial issue, which at times seemed to make an agreement almost impossible. On the EU side, it was above all the French who were adamant; the topic has always been treated extremely emotionally and plays with age-old resentment against the other country.
On Wednesday evening, the French government announced that from November 2nd, British fishing boats would no longer be allowed to moor in certain French ports. In addition, France will systematically check the safety of British boats in the future. Trucks driving from France to Great Britain or in the opposite direction should therefore also be checked more closely.
London: “We are ready to respond appropriately”
Britain criticized the announcement. Brexit Minister David Frost was disappointed. The measures would very likely not be in line with international law or the Brexit Treaty. A government spokesman said, “We are ready to respond appropriately.” London had communicated its concerns to the EU and France. “The threats made yesterday evening are disappointing, disproportionate and fundamentally not what we expect from a close ally and partner,” said the spokesman.
“It’s not a war, but a skirmish,” said French Minister for Marine Affairs, Annick Girardin, of the conflict. “We have fishing rights. We have to defend them and we defend them.” The UK government stresses that 98 percent of all requests from EU fishermen have been granted. On the other hand, Minister Girardin complained that it was only 90 percent – and the missing 10 percent were “obviously” French.
In Great Britain the tones are less martial, but nobody wants to give in. About half a year before the French presidential election, the French government was politicizing the issue, Barrie Deas, head of the British Federation of Fisheries Organizations, told BBC Radio 4. “It’s a bit strange because the French fleets are much more in British waters fish when we are in their waters, “said Deas.