Protesters put up a sign that read "You want to keep your waters??? OK ... So, keep your fish!"
Source - Daily Telegraph 23/04/21
French trawlermen have blockaded lorries arriving into Europe carrying UK-landed fish, as London and Brussels were locked in a blame game on Friday over access to Britain’s waters.
In the latest installment of the so-called Brexit “fish wars”, local fishermen from Boulogne-sur-Mer, situated on the north coast of France, attempted to obstruct the lorries as they entered the port, which is the largest seafood processing centre in Europe.
Some 80 fishermen set off flares on the Boulogne docks, blocked two trucks with a barricade of wood pallets and barrels, and put up a sign that read: "You want to keep your waters??? OK ... So, keep your fish!".
Fishing leaders warned earlier this week that the blockade was particularly bad for the Scottish industry, as many of its high-value catches, including langoustine, scallop and white fish are landed in Boulogne and traded across Europe.
The blockade has forced Government officials to convene talks with the French government to try and resolve the situation, with the British Embassy in Paris said to be assisting.
It is understood that a number of UK lorries heading to France have also been diverted to avoid the disruption, while the Department for Transport also helped others to arrive early to avoid being caught up in the protests.
The fishermen have accused the UK Government of dragging their feet over the issuing of licences to French vessels in the 6-12 nautical mile zone.
Under the terms of the Brexit trade deal, EU fishing boats can gain approval to fish in the 6-12 nautical mile limit of the UK’s territorial waters, if they have evidence of historical fishing activity from 2012-2016.
But the French fishermen claim that 80 per cent of the country’s fleet in the northern Hauts-de-France region are still waiting for licences, with many complaining they lack the data required to meet the requirements because smaller vessels under 12 metres do not carry the necessary equipment.
Clément Beaune, France’s Europe minister, and Annick Giradin, the minister for the sea, have now called on the European Commission to undertake “strong and determined” action to ensure the fishing agreement with Britain is fully implemented.
However, the fishermen’s claims have been rejected by Downing Street, which argued the blockade was “unjustified” and disputed the suggestion that applications for licences were being delayed.
The UK insists it has not received any applications for small vessels under 12 metres.
Government sources pointed the blame at Brussels on Friday, telling The Telegraph that they believed it was likely the result of a delay in European Commission sending on applications for consideration by the UK Single Issuing Authority (UKSIA).
The UKSIA has already approved 87 French vessels that have applied for access to the 6-12 mile zone, with another 40 requiring further information and checks.
There is also bemusement among some in Government over the French protests, with sources pointing out that Brussels had refused UK requests to reconsider its ban on the export of live shellfish from swathes of the UK’s waters.
A spokesman said: “The UK is maintaining a consistent, evidence-based approach to licensing vessels in line with the TCA [Trade and Cooperation Agreement].
“This means relevant information must be submitted to the European Commission in the first instance to send on to the UK on the eligibility of individual vessels.”
However, the European Commission has denied there are any pending licence applications on the EU side, with a spokesman stating: “We have no pending licence applications from the site of the Commission.”
“When it comes to the issue of fishing in this post Brexit situation, we are on the Commission side fully implemented to ensuring full implementation and application of the trade in cooperation agreement with the UK.”
An EU source added: “The UK has insisted on receiving detailed positional evidence in order to grant authorisations. The EU has called upon the UK authorities to adopt a pragmatic approach in this regard.”
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