French Action Now Inevitable in Fish Spat, British Official Says
French Action Now Inevitable in Fish Spat, British Official Says
(Bloomberg) -- A senior government official for the British isle of Jersey said it is now almost inevitable that France will make good on its threats to retaliate after French boats were denied fishing licenses.
The Jersey government is braced for French action of some form over the coming weeks and is making plans to minimize any adverse impacts, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Jersey continues to refuse licenses for 55 French boats to fish in its waters, a decision it expects will trigger the French action, the person said.
Tensions have risen sharply between the U.K. and France in the last few days, after the French government threatened to disrupt trade flows to Britain and raise energy prices in the British Channel Islands as part of a dispute over post-Brexit fishing access. France has set a Nov. 2 deadline by which time it wants more of its boats to be given licenses to fish in British waters, saying they have been unfairly excluded in violation of the post-Brexit trade deal.
“I worry this U.K. government only understands force,” France’s junior minister for European affairs, Clement Beaune, said Thursday on broadcaster Cnews. “It’s time to get respected.”
As part of its hardening stance, Paris started thorough checks on British ships in French waters late Wednesday and plans to tighten controls on all goods to and from the U.K., including truck cargo. French authorities also seized an English vessel that was fishing off Le Havre without a license.
“We believe these threats are disappointing, they’re disproportionate,” Johnson’s official spokesman Max Blain said to reporters on Thursday, adding that France’s stance is not what they’d expect from a close ally and partner. “It will be met with the appropriate response.”
Access to the seas around Jersey, a British isle which is 22 kilometers (14 miles) off France’s north-west coast, is one of the focal points of the current dispute. The Jersey government said in a statement Thursday that it had issued an extra 162 licenses to French boats following talks with officials from France and the European Commission. However, 55 vessels were not granted licenses.
“We are extremely disappointed at the French government’s announcement, made yesterday afternoon, pursuing an approach of retaliatory measures,” the Jersey government said. “This is a complex, evidence-based process, and we will continue to approach it with good faith.”
©2021 Bloomberg L.P.