Wednesday October 27, 2021
Dispute over fishing rights
France arrests British fishing boat
Since Brexit, an old dispute has flared up in the English Channel: where are British and French fishermen allowed to do their jobs? Paris complains that London grants too few licenses – and is now imposing the first sanctions.
The dispute between France and Great Britain over fishing permits in the English Channel is coming to a head. A British fishing boat had been escorted to a port by the French coast guard due to a lack of licenses, the judiciary is now taking over the case, tweeted the French Minister of the Sea, Annick Girardin.
There was a fine in the room and the confiscation of the catch. It was only on Wednesday evening that the French government announced that from November 2nd, British fishing boats would no longer be allowed to dock at 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.
Britain criticized the announcement. Brexit Minister David Frost was disappointed. The measures would very likely not be in line with international law and the Brexit Treaty. Since the UK left the EU, London and Paris have been arguing about fishing licenses for French boats, especially around the Channel Islands of Jersey and Guernsey. In the Brexit agreement it was agreed that European fishermen should get fishing licenses for a zone of six to twelve nautical miles off the British coast. In order to obtain a license, a fisherman must prove that he was previously active in these waters.