Monday, November 1st, 2021
The fishing dispute is coming to a head
The British give the French an ultimatum
France and Great Britain are fighting over fishing rights after Brexit. They threaten each other to arrest ships. The British Prime Minister and the French President also fail to find a solution at the G20 summit over the weekend. London then increases the pressure.
In the dispute over fishing rights, the British government gives France 48 hours to give in. Otherwise, London will take legal action on the basis of the Brexit agreement, Foreign Minister Liz Truss told Sky TV. “The French have made completely unreasonable threats, including to the Channel Islands and our fishing industry, and they must withdraw those threats. Otherwise we will use the mechanisms of our trade agreement with the EU to take action.”
France behaved unfairly. “And if someone behaves unfairly on a trade deal, you have the right to take action against them and demand compensatory measures. And we will do that if the French do not give in.”
Is the UK stingy with fishing licenses?
The dispute between the two states is about fishing rights after Great Britain leaves the European Union. France accuses Great Britain that French fishermen did not receive the guaranteed licenses to cast their nets in British waters.
A few days ago France arrested the British cutter “Cornelis Gert Jan” and warned a second boat because both ships had been sailing in French waters without a license. The government in Paris has threatened to take targeted measures against British ships and goods from Tuesday and to tighten controls.
For its part, Britain has threatened to arrest French fishing boats. A settlement of the dispute at a meeting between British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and French President Emmanuel Macron on the sidelines of the G20 summit at the weekend did not succeed, according to a British government spokesman.