French accuse UK of declaring a new fishing war

French accuse UK of igniting a new fishing war

Image: Pixabay

French fishermen have accused the UK of declaring a new fishing war after just 12 out 47 small vessels were granted permission to fish in zones close to the British coast.

The 12 fishing boats now have permission to fish close to the British shore or within six-12 nautical miles of it, but excluding the others is tantamount to “war” according to French fishing leaders.

The UK government insists rules against France are fair: “Our approach has been reasonable and fully in line with our commitments in the Trade and Cooperation Agreement.

“We continue to work with the Commission and the French authorities and will consider any further evidence provided to support the remaining licence applications,” it added.

According to The Telegraph, Olivier Le Nezet, the president of the Brittany fishermen’s committee, said permissions for just 12 fishing boats was “a declaration of war on the water and on the land.”

French fishermen would retaliate by making sure “not a single British product lands on French soil,” he warned.

Bertrand Sorre, the MP for Manche opposite the Channel Islands, added: “It’s an extreme provocation on the part of British officials, and very clearly France won’t accept it and I want the EU to enter into a much firmer negotiation and use all the levers at its disposal.”


Thank you for taking the time to read this article, please remember to come back and check The Euro Weekly News website for all your up-to-date local and international news stories and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

Author badge placeholder
Written by

Deirdre Tynan

Deirdre Tynan is an award-winning journalist who enjoys bringing the best in news reporting to Spain’s largest English-language newspaper, Euro Weekly News. She has previously worked at The Mirror, Ireland on Sunday and for news agencies, media outlets and international organisations in America, Europe and Asia. A huge fan of British politics and newspapers, Deirdre is equally fascinated by the political scene in Madrid and Sevilla. She moved to Spain in 2018 and is based in Jaen.

Comments