Wednesday, October 27, 2021

Dispute over fishing rights
France arrests a British fishing boat

An old dispute has flared up again in the English Channel since Brexit: where are British and French fishermen allowed to do their job? Paris complains that London grants too few licenses and is now imposing the first sanctions.

The dispute between France and Great Britain over the fishing permits in the English Channel is reaching a critical point. A British fishing vessel had been escorted to a port by the French coast guard due to a lack of licenses, and now the judiciary is taking over the case, French Minister of the Sea Annick Girardin tweeted.

There was a fine in the room and the seizure of the catch. It was only on Wednesday night that the French government announced that as of November 2, British fishing boats would no longer be able to dock in certain French ports. Furthermore, France will systematically check the safety of British ships in the future. Therefore, trucks traveling from France to Great Britain or in the opposite direction also need to be monitored more closely.

Britain criticized the announcement. Brexit Minister David Frost was disappointed. The measures are most likely not in line with international law and the Brexit Treaty. Since the UK left the EU, London and Paris have been arguing over 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 obtain fishing licenses for an area of ​​six to twelve nautical miles off the British coast. To obtain a license, a fisherman must show that he was previously active in these waters.