More than fifty French fishing boats gathered, Thursday, May 6 in the early morning, in front of Saint-Helier, the capital of the Anglo-Norman island of Jersey, some blocking the port, to protest against the conditions of fishing imposed on French sailors after Brexit.
Between fifty and sixty boats were sailing at 7 am in front of the port of Saint-Helier, while others were still on the way. “Boats have left from everywhere, from Brittany, from Normandy”, reported Romain Davodet, fisherman from Carteret (Manche), to Agence France-Presse (AFP). “It’s even incredible to have succeeded in bringing all these people together”, rejoiced Camille Lécureuil, also come from Carteret, evoking “At least 70 boats’.
“A freighter, the Commodore Goodwill, wants to go out and everyone seems determined to prevent her from going out. The fishermen engage at the entrance to the port », he described. “It’s a peaceful movement, there is no need for it to degenerate”, specified Mr. Lécureuil, adding that the fishermen were to return to France at the beginning of the afternoon.
An explosive subject throughout the negotiations on the conditions for the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union (EU), the access of European fishermen to British waters continues to cause friction, despite the agreement reached between London and Brussels , in force since 1er last january.
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“Retaliatory measures”
On Wednesday, the president of the regional fisheries committee of Normandy, Dimitri Rogoff, assured that it was not a question of blocking Saint-Helier, but of ” to mark the hit “. “There is no question of attacking. (…) The goal of the game is to show oneself, to show that the fishermen are determined, to support what has been demanded and then the minister’s remarks too, quite virulent remarks anyway “, he told AFP.
On Tuesday, the French Minister of the Sea, Annick Girardin, said that France was ready to resort to “Retaliatory measures” if the British authorities continued to restrict the access of French fishermen to Jersey waters. Before the National Assembly, she alluded to possible repercussions on the “Transmission of electricity by submarine cable” which supplies the island from France.
According to Paris, the United Kingdom on Friday published a list of 41 French vessels, out of 344 requests, authorized to fish in Jersey waters, but this list comes with new requirements “Which have not been concerted, discussed or notified before” as part of the agreement.
“Unacceptable threats”
The British government and the Jersey authorities have indignantly denounced the implicit threat from Paris to cut power to the Channel Island. “The threats to Jersey are clearly unacceptable and disproportionate”, a UK government spokesperson said on Wednesday, saying “Trust France to use the mechanisms” foreseen by the post-Brexit agreement ” to solve problems “.
“This is not the first threat from the French towards Jersey or the United Kingdom since we have been in this new agreement”, lamented the island’s foreign minister, Ian Gorst, on the BBC. “It would be disproportionate to cut off the power just because we need to provide additional details so that we can fine-tune the licenses. [de pêche] “, he estimated.
In a statement, the Jersey government said it had “Granted fishing licenses in accordance with the trade agreement” concluded between Brussels and London at the end of December. The latter provides for a transition period until the summer of 2026, when European fishermen will give up 25% of catches in British waters. EU fishermen meanwhile retain guaranteed access to areas between six and 12 nautical miles off the British coast, which is full of fish and often quieter for sailing, where they have traditionally visited.
To obtain this authorization, however, vessels must demonstrate to the British authorities that they were already fishing in this area over the reference period 2012-2016. And tensions have resurfaced in recent days, fishermen complaining about the slowness of London to issue them licenses.
The British Navy dispatched to the scene
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said any potential blockade of Jersey ports by French fishermen “Would be totally unjustified”, calling for a “De-escalation of tensions”. He still sent two patrol ships “As a precaution” and took advantage of a call with the minister of the island, John le Fondré, to reiterate his “Unwavering support for Jersey”.
For its part, the French Ministry of the Sea said it had asked the European Commission, the only one empowered to negotiate with the United Kingdom, to obtain “Clarification”. A spokesperson for the Commission interviewed by AFP recalled Monday that “Any condition” had to be notified with sufficient notice so that the other party could “Comment or adapt”. “In addition, such conditions cannot be discriminatory towards our fishermen”, she added, confirming that the Commission would contact the British authorities.
The situation is all the more complex as Brussels and London have still not managed to agree on the adoption of fishing quotas for stocks shared between the EU and the United Kingdom for 2021.
