This is probably how nobody imagined Brexit: absurd scenes broke out in the English Channel on Thursday off the island of Jersey. French fishermen have blocked an entire port because they fear for their fishing grounds.
And suddenly warships faced each other again between the mainland and the British Isles. Both the French Navy and the Royal Navy of Great Britain had dispatched ships to intervene in the dispute in an emergency.
The background to the whole hiccup at sea: After Brexit, there was a dispute over catch quotas and their distribution. Now French fishermen feel that the British authorities are deliberately putting them at a disadvantage. It is suspected that fishing licenses would only be issued slowly to fishing boats from France.
Blockage resolved again – for how long?
English media even reported combat-like scenes during the day. British fishing boats are said to have gone on a collision course with their French colleagues.
After intensive discussions with the French participants in the blockade, the fishing boats finally released the harbor entrance of Saint Helier, the island’s capital, in the early evening – and the naval ships finally left again. How long the fishermen’s peace in the English Channel will last is unclear.
The island of Jersey is only about 30 kilometers from mainland France, but is considered the crown property of the United Kingdom. London is therefore responsible for Jersey’s foreign and defense policy. (cat / SDA)