France Detains U.K. Trawler

Cross-Channel fishing rights have become more complicated and tense in the wake of Brexit. (Wikimedia Commons)

French authorities said that they had detained a British fishing trawler on October 28 and that another had been fined, marking a flashpoint in a series of post-Brexit fishing disputes between the two powers regarding ownership of fish in specific territorial waters.

Relations between France and Britain have become increasingly tense, especially regarding fishing. These tensions became obvious in the process of implementing a post-Brexit agreement with France in December 2020. The agreement stipulates that European fishers can continue to work in specific British waters if they are able to prove claims to those waters and a record of fishing history in those waters prior to Brexit.

Ultimately, the process of proving claims to waters has been marred by contention, with British and French officials disagreeing over the scope of the necessary documentation, and with Britain refusing clearance to French fishing vessels.

A French patrol vessel near the port of Le Havre fined the two British fishing boats and detained one of them. The boat detained at the port lacked a license to work in French waters, according to the French Maritime Ministry.

On November 2, France will ban British fishing boats from accessing vital French ports and will impose checks on cross-Channel maritime trade if French fishing boats are unable to obtain the documentation from Britain necessary to fish in northern European waters. France has also threatened to cut off energy supplies to Britain.

Clement Beaune, France’s Secretary of State for European affairs, said on October 28 that “[France] will carry out systematic checks, customs, [and] safety checks at sea for British ships. We will have no tolerance, no complacency,” and that “one cannot be in a climate of trust with a partner who does not respect the rules." Beaune also posted on Twitter on October 27 that “the dialogue remains open [with the U.K.], but we will always defend our interests.”

David Frost, Britain’s Brexit secretary and member of the House of Lords, responded on October 27, “It is very disappointing that France has felt it necessary to make threats late this evening against the U.K. fishing industry and seemingly traders more broadly.” Frost also said that Britain had already “granted 98 percent of license applications from EU vessels to fish in our waters.” This 98 percent constitutes 1,700 licenses Britain has already granted to EU boats seeking to fish in Britain’s exclusive economic zone.

Representatives of the Scottish company MacDuff Shellfish, owner of the detained vessel, said the boat’s crew were “in good spirits” after being stopped by French authorities near Le Havre.