Time.news – A few months after the conclusion of the post-Brexit agreement, the situation suddenly became tense between London and Paris on the question of access by French fishermen to British waters in the English Channel.
The scene of the escalation, which saw the two countries send two military ships respectively to patrol the area, is the island of Jersey, about twenty kilometers from Normandy and dependence of the British Crown: in front of the main port of the island, Saint -Helier, a fleet of about eighty French fishing boats has amassed and blocked circulation, in protest against what they believe to be the “illegal” new licensing system applied by Jersey and which limits their rights, established under the strenuous post-Brexit fisheries deal. After a few hours the French fishing boats have left the waters of Jersey heading east.
An issue that had already been explosive during the long negotiations between London and Brussels. Government representatives will meet with fishermen leaders aboard the Norman Le Brocq fishing boat. The island’s chief minister, in charge of foreign relations, Ian Gorst, has signaled the intention of “listen to the concerns of fishermen regarding fishing rights“.
The agreement – which entered into force on 1 January – provides for a transition period until the summer of 2026, when European fishermen will give up 25% of their catch in British waters, the equivalent of 650 million euros per year. The agreement also provides for an annual renegotiation. Until 2026, EU fishermen maintain guaranteed access to areas between 6 and 12 nautical miles off the British coast, an area known for its abundance of fish and the tranquility of navigation. However, they must apply for new licenses. The French government and fishermen now argue that London is moving away from the post-Brexit agreement, tightening the conditions for EU fishermen to enter British waters and for the first time last week the days of authorized access were restricted. .
Furthermore, to obtain the license, European vessels must now prove to the British authorities that they were already fishing in that area in the period between 2012 and 2016. This is not difficult for large vessels equipped with the necessary monitoring systems, but impossible for small vessels.
The government of Jersey has assured that it has “granted fishing licenses in accordance with the trade agreement” post-Brexit, but the European Commission is not of the same opinion. The EU executive said it had received “on April 30 a notification from the UK authorities on the granting of 41 licenses to EU fishing vessels”, but that “further conditions have been agreed”, explained European Commission spokesperson Vivian Loonela. , that accused London of “not respecting” the provisions of the agreement. While the French fishermen protested by throwing smoke bombs and singing chants against the British, the Minister of the Sea of Paris, Annick Girardin, asked London to lift the restrictions and Brussels called for “restraint and calm”.
Today, however, in an attempt to defuse the tension, the government and government representatives of Jersey will meet with the leaders of the fishermen aboard the Norman Le Brocq fishing boat.
The French State Secretary for European Affairs, Clement Beaune, warned that the British “maneuvers” off Jersey will “not intimidate” Paris. He then assured that “our will is not to feed tensions but to have a rapid and complete application of the post-Brexit agreement”.
France, a spokesman for the Elysée said, is monitoring “closely” the situation that “is currently considered calm”. According to sources cited by SkyNews, it is the attitude of the British that has exacerbated the tensions. For many, Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s move, to raise the tone by sending two warships “in support” to Jersey and “as a precaution” yesterday, was planned in an electoral key: today, in the United Kingdom, important local consultations, the first since the start of the pandemic, which will measure confidence in the Tory government.
Jersey fishermen, quoted by pro-conservative British media, they called the protest of the French fishermen “an invasion”, while the Daily Mail defines the current crisis as “our new Trafalgare”, referring to the famous naval battle which, in 1805, put an end to Napoleon’s attempt to invade England.
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